Edit My Mistakes
by Twob3happy
Summary: Callie left town several years ago. Coming back home to get some closure, she is met with more resistance than she expected from Arizona. Will Arizona be able to keep what's hers? Inspired by Sweet Home Alabama.
1. Chapter 1

Characters are not mine and only borrowed.

Chapter 1

Callie is currently behind the wheel of her mustang convertible, driving through her hometown in southern Virginia. In New York, she rarely drives it, let alone with the top down. Having the top down on the warm April day would usually be something to be excited about.

Feeling nervous and needing to talk to someone, Callie calls her best friend Addie. "Come on, pick up, come on….," Callie says as she waits impatiently. Finally when she is just about to hang up, Addie answers.

"Are you there yet? Did you give her the papers? What did she say? What did she look like? Has she changed any?"

"Addie! Stop! Oh my gosh. I'm just now getting into town. Her house is going to be my first stop though. What's with the fifty questions? You were supposed to help calm my nerves and now you have me all worked up again!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to go off like that. I've just been nervous for you."

"Again Addie, you are supposed to be calming me down! You still aren't helping!"

"I know, sorry. So….you are almost there then. You can do this. In and out, then you start heading back home tomorrow, and all will be good. No harm no foul...right?"

"I hope it's that simple Addie. This has to go smooth. I don't have time for things not to. For some reason though, I don't think it will be that easy.

"You've got this. Now, go get things taken care of so you can get back before the weekend. I still don't understand why you wanted to drive that old rickety thing when you could fly. Flying would have made it so much easier."

"Don't start on my car Addie. I don't like to get it out in New York. Too many potholes and nasty weather."

"Whatever Callie. Anyway, we have that big meeting tomorrow afternoon that you have been looking forward to. I hate that you will miss it but that means more excitement for me! Hopefully we can get something worked out. I feel big things can come of this!"

"Me too Addie. Listen, I have to go. I would love to go over some more thoughts before the meeting but I doubt I will have time to call you back. I should have called earlier. I just finished the third book in the hotel last night and started on the fourth. Let me tell you, there is a ton of talent there. This author makes me feel like I'm connected to her characters. It's weird. Anyway, almost there, so I need to go. Just give them what they want to get the deal done. And, thanks for the distraction, " Callie chuckled.

"Anytime sweets. Good luck. It will be ok. Call if you need me."

"I will. Talk to you soon."

As Callie hangs up, she looks around. "Not much has changed since I have been gone," Callie thought. She slows down as she looks just ahead. She sees the sign beside the long gravel drive way that she will never forget, "R-T Farms." She can remember buying that sign like it was yesterday. There was so much to be happy about back when that sign was put up.

As she continues down the drive, she feels her nerves start to make an appearance again. Actually, they have been there nonstop for the past few days. They are just coming forth ten fold at this point. She comes to a stop in front of the old farmhouse.

The big front porch that she used to sit on, wraps around to the back. It was one of the things she used to love most about this house. As she looks at the house she takes in the appearance and notes that it has been recently painted. It had really needed it bad several years ago. It looks really nice now.

She reaches up to move her hair back from her eyes. The wind has really done a number on her hair. As she looks in the mirror while she fixes her appearance, a sparkle gleams from the diamond on her hand, catching her attention. As she gazes down, she pulls off the engagement ring that adorns her left hand and puts it in a safe spot in her purse.

"Look what I have gotten myself into. Why didn't I come here to take care of this before it got to this point?" she asks herself. She exhales loudly and grabs the envelope that sits in the seat next to her. She makes the journey to the large wrap around porch, takes a deep breath, and knocks on the door.

She needs to get these documents in her hand signed and be back in New York as soon as possible. She has a wedding to prepare for after all. Her wedding. To her beautiful, sweet, caring, talented, easy going fiancé. Cameron recently finally achieved her dream of co-hosting "New York Daily," New York's premier morning news show. Cameron, or Cam, as she sometimes calls her, is a few years older Callie and has really done well for herself recently.

Once upon a time, knocking on the farm house door wouldn't have been a necessity, but using her key didn't seem quite right now. As she knocked for the second time, she was starting to think she would need to come back, but then the door was hesitantly opened and a little blue eyed boy peeked around the edge, while he looks at her with a shy smile.

Suddenly, a loud "Zac, close that door!" was heard. Cringing, the little boy slammed the door. Her breath caught in her throat because he surely wasn't what she expected to see when the door opened. As she felt shock overtake her, the door once again opens and there they were, those even bigger, bluer than blue eyes looking back at her. Beautiful didn't even describe the woman who answered the door.

Arizona stands at the door, mouth open and wide eyes, looking like she had just received the biggest surprise of her life. "Hey, I want to see too," said the little boy, who couldn't have been more than 3 years old. As he pokes his head around Arizona's legs, Arizona can't help but panic a little as he once again looks at Callie, wondering who the woman is. Short blonde hair tops his little head while dimples as deep as forever grace his cheeks.

At the same time, both women begin, "Arizona." "Callie."

Silence fills the air until the little boy sweetly looks to Arizona and says, "Callie? Who's Callie?"

Arizona reaches down and picks him up, looks at Callie and says, "Um, ex…excuse me, I…I'm just going to…to get him settled in the living room. I'll, uh, I'll be right back." Callie, releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding, could only nod as Arizona shuts the door and leaves her standing on the porch.

Arizona takes the little boy in to the living room and sits him on the couch. "Mommy, who is that?"

"Well sweetie, she is, uh, she…she is an old friend of mommy's. I am going to put on your favorite movie and get you some juice. Mommy will be right outside for a few minutes then I will come back in and cuddle with my favorite little man. What do you say? Mommy cuddles sound good?"

"Yes," the boy giggled.

She ran to get his juice, hands it to him and said, "you wait right here for mommy and I'll be right back." Already engrossed in his movie, he nods.

While walking back to the door, Arizona stops to take a second to compose herself. She has a feeling she knows what this visit is about and that it's not the visit she has been hoping for. She knew one day this would come, but she has always dreaded it. She hopes she can make it through a conversation without breaking down. "Ok Arizona…you can do this. You can."

While waiting on Arizona, Callie's rambles to herself. "Oh, why didn't you already take care of this? I knew it was a mistake to wait. So, it looks like Tim had a kid. He looks just like Tim. And Arizona. But, I guess they look so much alike. I bet Arizona makes a great aunt. She always said she would spoil Tim's kids and then send them home on a sugar rush."

As the door opens, Callie is brought from her thoughts and takes a step back while she leans against the railing. Arizona steps out and sighs as she shuts the door behind her. The last person Arizona expected to see was Callie Torres knocking on her door. The years have obviously been good to Callie. She looks as beautiful as she did the last time Arizona saw her. Arizona always thought the wind blown look did amazing things for Callie and today was no exception.

Arizona wasn't prepared for the emotions now overtaking her body. Lots off emotions flit across Arizona as Callie watches Arizona's face. Arizona feels so much right now. Definitely some anger and some resentment. What she didn't expect was the love she has tried to bury for so long, rushing to the forefront. So many questions and thoughts are all going through her mind, but forming words are hard for her to do right now.

Although Callie should have been prepared to see all those emotions play across Arizona's face, she wasn't. Callie, fumbling for words, looked away. Those blue eyes are now losing some of the anger but turning into something she can't quite place. Once again, just like 6 years ago, she feels a huge wave of disappointment in herself. She felt like disappointing Arizona was the only thing she excells at.

Ultimately, after time seemed to stand still for both, Callie found her voice. "Arizona, I know it has been a long time. And I know…I know I should have personally brought these to you before now. I really need you to sign these though," as she held up an envelope.

Arizona looked at her and shook her head. "If those are divorce papers you want me to sign, you can forget it. I thought the others papers not being signed and returned to your lawyer were a sign that _I_ don't want a divorce. That's all you, not me. If you want me to sign those, then you just need to woman up and take me to court."

Callie, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach, turns and leans over the railing of the porch. Vomiting in her Arizona's yard is not what she came here to do. Arizona watches with amusement as her wife gets herself situated.

"I see you still can't handle confrontation. You probably can't handle your alcohol any better these days either," Arizona smirked. She was not about to let Callie see how shaken up she was at her sudden appearance. She may have started off their encounter showing some emotion, but she has now reigned it in. She doesn't want to let Callie see that she is having any affect on her.

Callie, feeling a little queasy still, shakes her head in frustration. "Arizona, I have sent you several copies of these to sign. I don't want to have to take you court over this. If you would have signed these years ago, this would be over."

"Again Callie, _I'm_ not the one who wants a divorce. You are. So why would I sign them? I told you 6 years ago, I didn't want one. I didn't return signed papers then, nor did I return papers 5 years ago, or 4 and a half years ago. _I DON'T WANT A DIVORCE!_ "

"Arizona," Callie says as she shakes her head and looks down. "This doesn't have to he difficult. Please. Please...sign them."

"Callie, you will have to do more than just ask. I didn't want one then and I don't want it now."

"I see. So you are going to put us both through something that isn't necessary. Is Tim here since I'm assuming that what his son? Maybe I can convince him to talk some sense into you."

"No, he isn't. And Tim is not about to take your side on this even if he was. And Zac…" Callie cuts her off as she says, "I see. Well, I need to be going. It seems as though I am obviously not going to get anywhere here, so I have my work cut out for me now. Tell Tim his son is adorable though."

Callie turns to walk back to the car when she hears Arizona say, "He isn't Tim's." At hearing this, Callie looks back to Arizona.

"What?"

"He isn't Tim's."

That one simple statement takes Callie by surprise. "Is he…," Callie stops and can't seem to finish her sentence.

"He's my son," Arizona says.

"I…I don't know what to say, I…," Callie stutters. "Congratulations. He is definitely a Robbins. I'm sorry, I just...I didn.t expect it but it is what I always wanted for you."

Arizona couldn't help but be a bit confused herself. She figured Callie's parents would have told her. True…her son wasn't biologically anything to Callie, and there was no reason for anyone to tell her, theoretically any way.

Given all the circumstances, she figured it would be news someone would have felt Callie had a right to know, even though Arizona wasn't one of them. Especially Callie's parents. They spent time with the boy, every other weekend. They considered the boy their grandson. "Callie, I see this is obviously a shock to you. I assumed someone would have told you. His name is Zac. He turns 3 this weekend."

"Um, yeah, they uh, they didn't mention it."

"You know Callie, things could have been so different. When you abandoned me I..."

Arizona, I didn't just abandon you! You know why I left!"

"I know why you think you left Callie, but we both know that was a crock. You wanted me to be happy? Guess what, you leaving did NOT make me happy. You wouldn't listen to anything I had to say and you became engulfed in your own little pity party. That is not a reason to get a divorce. We went through something terrible. It was the worst thing imaginable. But we should have been going through it together, not apart. It was hard and awful and it sucked, all the time, but we should have been going through it together. Then you just shut down."

"Arizona, I didn't come here to argue. I came here so we could have closure. I mean, you have a kid, you obviously have moved on, just sign them. Please. Let me move on too."

"You know what Callie, I can see that you still don't listen to me any better now than you did 6 years ago. I will say this one more time, and you better listen to me and listen good, when I say that I'm not signing those damn papers. Take me to court Callie." With that, Arizona opens the door to go in and slams it behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Callie turns to leave but then stops to sit on the front porch step. Her mind was whirling with what she had just heard. Arizona has a son. A beautiful little boy that looks just like her. She has never had mixed emotions like she does right now. She wanted Arizona to have the world, so why does it hurt seeing her with that little boy? "I told her we were over and I asked for a divorce. I knew she would move on. This is exactly what I wanted for her, this is why I left. I knew she would make a good mom one day, and I didn't want to be the reason that didn't happen for her. This just reinforces I made the right decision."

Deciding she needs a little time to process, and knowing she isn't getting anything signed today, she heads to see her parents. The drive to her parents gives her time to regain focus. As she enters the house, she sees her mom in the kitchen. It looks like she is busy fixing dinner. When her mom turns, she jumps, hands clutching her chest.

"Calliope?"

"Hi mom."

It has been a few months since either have spoken. Since Callie left for New York, calls became fewer and farther between, usually only happening on holidays or birthdays. It's not that they didn't get along, but to be honest, Callie was afraid they would bring up Arizona, or other things from the past that were too hard to talk about. Callie didn't want to think about. And so, she just made sure to call less to keep that from happening. It was easier that way. It hurt less that way.

"Calliope, what in the world are you doing here? Let me see you!" As Lucy rushed to give Callie a hug, Callie became overwhelmed. It had been so long since she had been surrounded by her mother's hugs. She didn't realize how much she missed her mom until just now.

As Lucy pulled back, she held Callie by the hands and looked at her. "Callie, you have lost weight. Have you been eating? Are you taking care of yourself"?

Callie chuckled as her mom rattled off many questions. "Mom, I'm fine. Really. I do eat, I just make better choices these days in what I eat. I also make sure to hit the gym several times a week."

"Callie, you are wasting away to nothing. Come, sit down while I finish dinner. "Your father will be home soon. He is showing his last house for the day as we speak. You know your dad, he won't retire. He seems to be selling more than ever these days." Callie could believe that. Her dad was always a workaholic.

"I see that never changes then. I think he will try to sell the funeral home from his casket if he thinks there is a potential buyer," Callie says as she shakes her head.

"So, Calliope, how long are you here for? I would love for you to stay for the weekend! Lots of festive stuff going on this weekend that you might enjoy."

"Actually mom, I am just here to get some things taken care of and get back to New York."

"Oh. I see. What kinds of things?"

"Um, well, Arizona hasn't signed the divorce papers yet. I have sent copies for her to sign. Actually, several times, but she either doesn't return them at all, or if she does, she shreds them first. She is making it difficult."

"Is she now?" Lucy asks.

"Mom, after everything that happened, I just want to move on. Obviously, she has moved on. I don't know why she won't sign them. I mean, she has a kid for crying out loud. She needs to just honor my wishes and sign them. That way we can both move on."

"Oh, you met Zac?"

"Uh, not quite. He uh, he was at the door. I assumed he was Tim's at first."

"Yeah, you can tell he is a Robbins. I can see why you thought that."

"Yeah, he is adorable," Callie says with a sad smile.

"Callie, I think you should talk to her. And listen to her. You have never been good at listening, maybe it is time to start, before it is too late. Besides, not sure how much you think she has moved on, but maybe things aren't quite what they seem."

"Look, it doesn't matter... I have moved on and..." Callie stops herself. She decides to wait and tell her mom and dad the news about Cameron at the same time.

"Never mind. You know what, I have had an exhausting, busy two days travelling and an even more exhausting time this afternoon. If you don't care, I'm going to go back to my room and freshen up before dad gets home." Even after Callie got married, her parents kept her room just as it was when she was there So, Callie didn't expect any different now.

As Callie stands up, she picks up her bag and goes to move from the table when her mom stops her. "Uh, Calliope, about your room…"

"What about it?"

"Well, see, the thing is….." how does she say this... "did your wife mention that Zac comes over?"

"Mom, please don't call her that."

"Calliope, she is your wife and that is how I will refer to her until you have those papers signed."

"Mom, it's a technicality. She is my wife only on paper, and that's all. That is why I am here to begin with."

"That's all? Callie, at one time you were so proud of that. It's all you wanted."

"Well, as her wife, I made the call that she deserved more...does deserve more."

"As long as you do recognize she is still your wife," Lucy says with a pointed stare. "Arizona brings him over for us to spend time with him. And we turned your room into a place for him, his own room, so to speak."

"What? Why does he spend time here?" "Well, like you said, she is technically still your wife, and that technically makes him our grandson."

"Mom, you don't have grandkids. We all know that isn't going to happen. Is that why you didn't tell me about Zach?"

"Arizona us our daughter in law. He is our grandson. We tried to talk to you about her, and tell you about him, but every time we tried, you cut us off."

"It hurt too much," Callie mumbles.

"If you would have asked about her…ever…well, maybe we would have been more inclined to say something. But when you take it upon yourself to not do that, and cut us off when we tried, well, we let it be. Besides, it's what you wanted for her, isn't it? For her to be happy, to have a family one day?"

"Mom, you know that's what I want for her. That's all I ever wanted for her." Lucy stops and watches as a tear falls from Callie's eyes. She ponders what to tell Callie. She isn't sure what Arizona told her. "Look, it may be hard for you to hear this, but until she signs divorce papers, that boy is our grandson. Oh... and one more thing You said she needs to honor your wishes and sign those papers, but maybe what you think you want and what you really want, aren't the same things. I wouldn't expect her to sign them until she thinks there is absolutely no hope left. She still loves you."

Callie takes in her mom's words. There is no way Arizona still loves her. Not after all the hurt she caused and then asking for a divorce. I mean, yeah, Arizona said she didn't want a divorce, but surely that was just out of spite at thus point. Right? "I don't think so mom. Besides, like I said, I have moved on."

Callie really wants to tell her mom about her engagement right now, but again decides to wait until her parents are together, that way she only has to explain once. "Look, I'm exhausted and I can't talk about this anymore tonight. I'm going to go wash up so I am ready for dinner." She walks back to "her" room to change into something more comfortable.

As Lucy watches Callie walk away, she begins to think about what her daughter has been through. She knows Callie well enough to know that no matter what kind of moving on she thinks she has done, that, Callie hasn't truly moved on.

After walking into her old room, she is surprised to find it decorated in a light blue color. She had been warned, but it still catches her off guard as she walks in. This should have been the room her child stayed in when visiting her parents. The thought makes tears fall from her eyes. She quickly wipes away the tears, as she sets her stuff down.

She looks around and sees pictures of the little boy. Some by himself, some with her parents, and one with Arizona. The little boy really does look just like her. The eyes, the smile, the dimples. The picture must have been taken on his first birthday. He is wearing a shirt with a 1 on it, holding balloons.

Arizona is smiling in the picture. She looks almost the happiest that Callie has ever seen her. Callie stops and allows herself to remember for just a minute. To remember how things used to be and it reminds Callie of all the dreams she and Arizona used to have, and how all those dreams were shattered. The thought brings Callie back to the present. It is too hard, even now, to think about it. She was such a failure. Seeing Arizona with that little boy, just reminds her of what she couldn't give Arizona. How it was all her fault. The guilt weighs her down. She tries so hard not to think about it and blame herself, but it's hard. She knew Arizona would make all her dreams come true if she wasn't around, and it looks like she succeeded.

She never expected to have to see Arizona with a child. She didn't expect Arizona to just wait, but she figured they would at least be divorced by then and she wouldn't have to see it with her own eyes. It has brought up more memories than she expected. So many things Callie tried to not think about, everything about today had brought that all back in full force.

Callie's phone chimed with a new text. It was from Cam telling her she hoped she had arrived to her parents safely. "Cameron," Callie sighed as she holds onto her phone. She decides she better let her know she will not be leaving tomorrow. You see, what Cameron doesn't know, is that Callie is still married. When Cam came along, she honestly didn't expect to fall for her, they were just friends and so she didn't mention it. Of course, the longer she waited, the harder it was to tell her, especially as they became closer.

Callie is filled with instant regret as she pulls out her phone and sends Cam a quick text. " _Hey Cam! I have decided to stay just a little longer. It has been nice seeing my family, so I'll extend my stay for a few days. I'll call you tomorrow when I get a better idea of when I'll be leaving. So, anyway, gotta go. Dinner is almost ready. Looking forward to mom's cooking. Good luck on the show in the morning. I'm sure you will kill it like usual! Looking forward to actually maybe catching your shows live while I'm off work. Love you."_

Addie Montgomery, Callie's business partner, was the one who introduced Cam and Callie. Like Callie, Cam was invited to many get togethers at Addie's. They started spending more and more time together and became very good friends. One night, Cameron and Callie went out to dinner and Cameron decided she wanted more. So, she put herself out there and told Callie she was falling for her. Callie told her she wasn't there yet but agreed to see where things might go between them. Callie did eventually fall in love with her, but to be honest, it was never a love like she had at one time with Arizona.

Addie knew about Callie's marriage, but because they were all just friends, Addie kept Callie's secret. After Callie and Cam became closer, Callie assured Addie she would take care of the divorce and asked her to keep her secret. Right or wrong, Addie agreed.

Here they are, two years later, and it still doesn't feel close to what she felt with Arizona. And once again, she tells herself it will get there, that she is just feeling guilty and everything will take care of itself once the divorce is final. Cameron will never be the love of her life, but this is her life now. This is what she deserves.

Maybe Arizona doesn't think she made the right choice leaving, but after seeing her with Zac, she knows she did. Arizona deserves the world and she isn't the one that could or can give it to her. Arizona deserves better, or so Callie thinks.

With Cam taken care of for now, she quickly changes for dinner and pulls out a few things from her bag. She plugs in her headphones and picks out her reading playlist. A soothing music helps her relax. She then pulls the book out that she started last night. She decides to clear her mind for just a minute. Dinner will be ready shortly so she will just get a quick chapter in. With editing all day, she usually doesn't just get a chance to read for pleasure.

"Ok Bobbie Daniel, let's see what happens next...," Callie says as she lays back on the bed, ready to clear her mind of the day's stressful events. She is already dreading the talk with her parents about Cam and to be honest, she needs to get her mind off of Arizona. Since seeing her, she is all Callie can think of.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

As soon as Arizona closes the front door and leaves Callie on the porch, she rushes to the bathroom.

Five minutes. That's all she will give herself to get it together before she heads to the couch to be with her little boy. Five minutes to feel everything currently coursing through her. Five minutes to cry and get it out of her system.

Her heart feels like it is breaking all over again. They say time heals all wounds. Right now, Arizona Robbins doesn't agree with that though. Her wounds right at this moment, well, they feel just as raw as they did when everything happened six years ago.

Arizona leans against the bathroom sink. Her life with Callie flashes before her. She has heard people talk about that happening, but didn't understand how that could really happen. Until today. Every moment with Callie plays in her mind on fast forward. Scene by scene.

They met when the Robbins family moved to town. It was close to the base where Colonel Robbins was being stationed. Callie was with her father when he was showing the Robbins family different properties in the area.

Callie Torres would often end up going to work with her father Carlos after school, because her mom Lucia, or Lucy as she is called, would often be at work in the diner. Arizona knew Callie was special from the moment they met. Instant best friends are what they became. The girls were inseparable.

Fast forward several years to high school and their friendship took a turn. The girls slowly realized there was a lot more than simple friendship between them. Neither had ever dated other people, not that others didn't try to ask them out.

One night, after a football game, they were at a friend's house with a group playing truth or dare. Arizona's friend Alex dared Arizona to kiss someone in the group. Arizona chose Callie. It caught both of them by surprise when Arizona approached her. Callie wasn't sure why she picked her, but after the kiss, they both knew they wanted to do a lot more of that. It didn't take long for them to tell their families they were dating.

After Callie's senior year, she enrolled in college but it was close enough she could commute. She majored in English, wanting to be an editor or publisher one day. They continued to grow closer, making memories and dreaming of what their lives would shape into.

The night of Arizona's high school graduation, Callie enlisted Arizona's brother Tim, to help her propose. Tim gathered all Arizona's friends and family for a graduation party, and Callie proposed in front of everyone. Of course, Arizona said yes!

When Callie had graduated college and began working for a local paper as an editor, Arizona was about to be a sophomore in college, majoring in English, just like Callie. They decide that, amidst jobs and school, they didn't want to wait to get married.

Callie used her dad's realty connections to get access to the most beautiful lakeside property with an old farmhouse. It was for sure a fixer upper but it had been on the market forever, and her dad convinced the owners to let it go at a steal. Both sets of parents chipped in to help the girls make the purchase. They both worked but needed help with the down payment.

After they buy the house, they use the lake as a backdrop for a late summer outdoor wedding. It was everything they could have asked for even with the short time to plan. Arizona remembers Callie looking more beautiful than ever that day.

After getting settled into the new house, they were able to make it into a home. They had lots took keep them busy. Floors to sand, walls to paint, cabinets to redo…but would tackle everything in time.

They loved the charm the old farm house had. One of their first purchases as a married couple was a sign at the beginning of the driveway that read "R-T Farms". It wasn't a farm yet, but they had plenty of room, and Arizona wanted to add chickens and other farm animals to their family one day.

The next few years, they continued with school and work. Being newlyweds really suited them. Many laughs were shared and many nights were spent in front of the fireplace showing one another how in love they were.

Arizona graduated with her English degree and began working for the same paper as Callie. Callie was fortunate enough to land an editor's job at, and Arizona began writing pieces on a part time basis, helping to earn money while continuing on to grad school.

Arizona can see like it was yesterday, the look on Callie's face as Arizona told her she wanted them to have a baby. She felt their lives were almost complete, but a tiny little bundle of joy would complete them and she didn't want to wait. Arizona remembers how excited Callie was when Arizona told her she wanted Callie to carry. She wanted to use a donor that had her characteristics with blonde hair and blue eyes, and dimples if they could find them.

After looking through profile after profile, they found just the right donor. They decided to not do IVF to keep costs down. They opted to try it the somewhat old fashion way. It took a little longer that way, but they were ok with that.

Callie surprised Arizona on her birthday in the fall of Arizona's second year of grad school. She had a fire in the fireplace and dinner spread out on a blanket in front of it when Arizona came home from class that night. She handed her a wrapped box with a bow as they sat in front of the fire. Arizona thought it was a necklace. She couldn't have been more happy to find that it was a positive pregnancy test. They were overjoyed at the thought that they would be parents the following June.

The next thing that flashes through her mind, is seeing Callie covered in bruises and asleep in the hospital. She remembers the look on Callie's face when she told her they had lost the babies. Both of them.

Arizona was suddenly snapped out of her memories by her son Zac yelling for her. She rinsed her face off with a wash cloth, dried herself up, took another second to compose herself, and went to join her him on the couch. Those five minutes are all she can spare for Callie Torres today.

As she sits down with Zac, he looks at her and asks, "What's wrong Mommy? You been crying?"

Arizona is always amazed at how bright and observant he is. Arizona was very intelligent herself. She actually could have breezed through med school if that was where her heart had been.

Arizona looks at Zac, "Oh, mommy just isn't feeling good. But the best medicine is Zac cuddles so you will help me to start feeling better in no time."

She kissed his chubby cheeks and he asked, "Where did that lady go?"

"Well, Callie needed to go see her parents. I'm sure we will see her again though. I'm sure off it." Arizona knew Callie was not going to just let things slide this time. She fully expected Callie to be at her doorstep or take Arizona's threat to heart and take her to court.

"OK," Zac replied. "She is pretty."

"Yeah Zac, she is. Very pretty. But, let's cuddle and make mommy feel better."

A half hour later, there was another knock on the door. Arizona knew it was probably Tim, but her heart stopped none the less. Zac had fallen asleep shortly after Arizona sat down with him, so she laid him down and made her way for the door. This time, she checked before she opened it, relieved to see Tim standing there with some kind of toy, no doubt for Zac. She opened the door and Tim came in.

"Hey sis! What's for dinner? I'm starv…. Arizona, what's wrong?" He knew that look. He knew…he had dealt with it for the first six months after Callie left. It flared up on occasion after that too.

"Arizona…." As Tim reached out and put his hands on her shoulders, she broke down. For the second time today, Callie Torres was the source of her tears. Tim pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her like only a brother can.

"Hey, I know that look. Did you get more papers from Callie? It's been a while since she sent the last ones." Tim realizes that maybe that was the wrong thing to say as Arizona only cries harder.

"Tim….it's ss..soooo much worse than that," Arizona cries.

Tim manages to get her to the kitchen and helps her to sit on a stool "Hey, hey, it's not the first time and it won't be the last time. Tear them up like you always do."

"I..I can't. She was here. She brought them with her." Tim was beyond surprised. He hasn't talked to Callie since she left. Not for lack of trying on her part, but he wasn't going to humor her with polite conversation when she left his sister.

"Oh. I see. Well, what exactly did she say?"

"She wants me to sign the papers. I told...I told her if she wanted me to sign them, then sh…she needs to take me to court, because I'm not going to sign them." Arizona is having a hard time finding the strength to tell Tim everything that was said.

"And how did she respond to That?"

"Well, she said something about me not needing to make this any more difficult and she said we needed the divorce. That's the gist."

As she sits there, she remembers, "Oh, and she saw Zac. She actually thought he was yours," Arizona said as she shook her head trying to dry her eyes.

"Did you tell her he was yours?"

"Yeah, I told her, and that she would have known that if she wouldn't have abandoned me. She started mumbling crap about how she didn't abandon me and that I knew why she left."

"Ok…and then?"

"I told her she didn't leave because of me. She left because of her and her self-pity. I told her we should have been working through things together."

"Yeah, I don't know that she ever realized that. Did she ask anything about Zac?"

"She just assumed I have moved on so she didn't ask much about him. She probably assumes I am with someone else. "

"Are you going to tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

"Arizona... since she knows about him now, she is probably going to have questions. Especially since he is technically her son, you know, seeing as how you are still married."

"Tim, if she takes me to court to sign the damn papers, there is really no good that can come from telling her much more about him. She wants a divorce so there is no reason for her to know."

"I'm not saying that she needs to know, or even deserves to know, for that matter. But maybe she would…."

"Tim, you didn't hear her." Arizona cuts him off. "She was pretty adamant about wanting a divorce. I have fought this for six years, but I think her finally coming here, coming back, means my time is up. She obviously doesn't love me and she obviously won't care about Zac. And he shouldn't play a part in any decision she makes. So, she doesn't need to know."

"Don't say that. You don't know for sure she will take it to court. It isn't exactly like she has been in a hurry to get a divorce. She's had six years for crying out loud. No matter what she says, no matter how bad she says she wants the divorce, there is a reason she hasn't done anything before now. I think there is a reason she has waited. Whether she loved you or not was never the question. You do know that, right?"

"I know she used to love me. I know she did. Now though, at this point in time today, if she loves me, she wouldn't be asking for a divorce. You know, I always hoped and dreamed that one day, I would open the door and she would be standing there, just like today." Arizona sat wringing her hands. Trying to keep her tears at bay.

"I always pictured her giving some grand speech, saying she made a huge mistake and was sorry for walking away. I thought she would realize how much she loves me and how much I love her, and that everything that happened didn't have to be the end of us. That our love would be enough and we could get past it. I wish she would see that I don't blame her. I never did. I feel like if she ever knew me at all, she should have known that."

"Arizona, you can't make her forgive herself. She is the only one who can do that. I think she hated herself at that point in time, and she had her mind made up that everyone else did too. I think she thought since she hated herself for what happened and couldn't forgive herself, that you wouldn't be able to either."

"No matter how many times I tried to tell her I didn't blame her, it just didn't matter. She totally shut down. I feel like I let her down though. Maybe I didn't try hard enough…."

"Arizona, I know seeing her again has brought everything back up. But you were there for her in any way you could be. Look, now you have her back in town. Show her what she is missing. Show her you still love her."

Tim looked up to see Arizona wipe her eyes. He shrugged, looked back up and said, "Don't give up. Hang in there. If she really wants the divorce make her take you to court. Until then, keep fighting for her. Now that she is back, do everything you can to show her you are strong and you still love her. Or go the total opposite route and make her jealous."

Arizona shook her head. "Tim, you can't make someone jealous if they don't love you anymore. Besides, you know she is all I want. I don't want someone else."

Needing to do what he came here to do, he stood up, and clapped his hands together."

" I know. So, where is my little man? Is he all ready to hang with Uncle Tim the next two days?"

Arizona looks up suddenly and gasps. "Oh my goodness Tim! With everything going on today, I can't believe I forgot about that!"

"Arizona, seriously? You have been looking forward to this for months!"

"Tim, I can't go now!"

"Yes you can!"

"No, with Callie here, I can't just leave."

Tim stops and takes a breath, realizing Arizona isn't going to go that easy. So he takes a different tactic.

"Arizona, look. You have been here for 6 years. It's always been about her and whether or not she is coming back. And guess what? The world doesn't revolve around her."

"I know that Tim!"

"Do you? Because I don't think you do. You have not even published your books with your name. You have been using a pen name on your books because you didn't want her to feel bad because you were having some success. You didn't want her to think that you were better off without her. So, do this for you. And Zac. She can wait a few days for you to get back if she wants those stupid papers signed that bad."

Arizona looked to the floor. She knew he was right but she didn't want to admit it. Arizona has authored 4 books. They have all been love stories about lovers who were torn apart. Heart wrenching and suspenseful is how many reviewers described them. Tim was right. The only reason she didn't want to use her real name on her books was because she didn't want Callie to think she had done the right thing by leaving, that she was accomplishing more without her. Because the truth is, it was her love for Callie that prompted her stories to begin with.

In every book, Callie had some influence on her story. Callie staying would probably have only given her more strength and courage to write.

Arizona had been an adjunct English professor at the college she and Callie graduated from. Writing books happened after Callie left. It helped her sort out her feelings. Up until then, she had been only writing small pieces for the paper. But, with the sudden free time she found herself with after Callie had gone, writing became her second passion.

"You know what Tim, if she wants a divorce anyway, maybe I should start thinking about using my real name. My agent has said for a while that I should. And right now, Zac is the most important person to me and I should do this for him. I want him to be proud of me."

"I know it's hard Arizona, but you can't keep from living your life in a way to somehow make her feel better about hers."

"I know," Arizona sadly agreed. "Look, let me get Zac's bag packed and then it will be time to wake him from his nap I'll whip up something real quick for us to eat and then you guys can head off. I should probably get some sleep if I'm going to catch that flight in the morning."

"I have a better idea. You go get his bag ready and I'll get him up. I'll even save you some time cooking and order pizza while you are doing that. I heard today that the new pizza place down by Chuck's delivers."

"I love you Tim. Zac and I are beyond lucky to have you. Oh, by the way, what kind of toy did you bring him this time? You spoil him entirely too much."

"Oh, just a new train I saw after I left work today. It was in the window of that antique place. Still in a box and everything. They don't make them like this any more. He will love it!"

"Really Tim, thanks."

"No problem sis. Now, go get him packed and I will go get him up and show him this train!"

Arizona chuckled as she walked away. Tim was right. She needed to do things for her and Zac. Anything to do with Callie would have to wait. She can't avoid Callie forever, but she could for at least a day or two. So she packs Zac's bag and gets ready to say goodbye to her little man.

As she walks into the kitchen, she sees Zac laughing at his Uncle Tim. Arizona sneaks up behind Zac and begins to tickle him as the doorbell rings. "I'll go grab the pizza," says Tim.

"I love pizza!" Yells Zac.

"Yep, I know!" says Arizona. "We are going to eat and then you are going to go stay a few nights with Uncle Tim. Mommy has to go to work for a few days but I'll be back before you know it."

"I miss you," Zac says. Arizona can't help but adore this little boy.

"I'll miss you too buddy. Now, let's get some pizza in your tummy!"

After a somewhat tearful goodbye with Zac and Tim, Arizona walks to the kitchen to pour a glass of wine. She walks in by the fireplace and curls up on the couch. She needs a few minutes to relax after the long day she has had before she heads to bed.

She remembers when Callie would light the fireplace and pour them wine. Those two things always led to a long night. Callie was so good at making her feel loved at one time. Arizona gets lost in her memories for a few minutes. Arizona suddenly stands, taking her glass to the kitchen. "Enough Arizona. You've spent enough time thinking about her today. Everything to do with Calliope will have to wait another day."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Callie slowly stirs, feeling her stomach grumble. Somehow she is laying on a pile of stuffed puppies covered with a train blanket. She thinks back to last night and realizes she must have fell asleep when she sat down to read and clear her mind a little before dinner. She decides to get a shower and then maybe go see if she can talk some sense into Arizona. She can't be here any longer than necessary. It's too hard. And she should get back to Cameron.

After her shower, she heads into the kitchen while her mom is getting up from the table. "Callie dear, I hope you slept well. I was getting ready to wake you. Your father was so excited you were here, but when he came to get you for dinner last night, he said you were out like a light. He hated to wake you so he covered you up and let you be."

"I wish he would have woke me up though. I really wanted to talk to you guys."

"There will be plenty of time for catching up. Are you hungry? I would think you would be famished."

"Actually, I could eat. Turns out my nerves wouldn't let me keep much down yesterday. I still hate that I missed seeing dad."

"You always were a nervous child. Your dad said he would see you tonight. If you are here until you get those papers signed, you aren't going anywhere soon."

Callie shakes her head, "Mom, I can't stay here forever. If she won't sign them, I will be forced to get a lawyer. It's for the best."

"Best for who Calliope?" Lucy asks. "Because it sure isn't best for her." Without giving Callie a chance to answer, she says, "Well, I'm getting ready to head to the diner for my shift. Why don't you follow me and I'll fix you your favorite breakfast?"

Callie thought for a minute and said, "Sure, that sounds good. I haven't had that in years."

"Well, you don't need to remind any of us of that."

"Mom…."

"Hey, I'm just saying. Anyway, let's go. I don't want to be late."

Callie follows her mom into the diner to be met with the cutest little laugh she has ever heard. She follows the sound and her eyes land on the beautiful little boy she only saw for a minute yesterday.

The little boy sees her and shouts, "Callie!" The blonde he is with turns around and Callie sees her brother-in-law for the first time in ages.

Tim would have always greeted her with a big hug in the past. This time, she was only greeted with a regretful nod.

"Mom, if you would, please get me my usual. I think I need to talk to Tim for a moment."

"Of course, honey. It'll be ready shortly."

"Thanks mom," Callie sadly smiled.

As Lucy makes her way to the back to clock in, Callie lays her things in a booth, then heads towards Tim and Zac. Tim watches as Callie slowly makes her way over. He watches as Zac gets excited. "Mommy's friend," Zac says as he points at her.

"Did mommy tell you that was her friend?"

"Yep. She said Callie was her old friend. She doesn't look old though!" Tim couldn't help but chuckle at his nephew.

As Callie reaches the table, she watches the two interact. They obviously spend a lot of time together, she notes to herself.

"Tim, how are you? It's good to see you."

"Well, I'm o.k. I guess. Wish I could say the same about you though."

"O.K. I guess I deserve that."

"You think?" Callie looks down a little defeated at the tone this conversation is taking. She really didn't anticipate the greetings she would receive very well.

Zac breaks the silence as he pipes up, "Is Callie your friend too?"

Tim looks at Zac and realizes that he should watch what he says. "Yeah, she used to be my friend too." Callie sighs as she looks at the little boy. She sees Arizona in his mannerisms and looks. He is her kid, no doubt about that.

"Hi Zac. How are you?" Callie directs at the little blonde.

"I'm having breakfast," he excitedly yells.

"I see that! Is it yummy?"

"Yep! And I have chocolate milk too!"

"That is awesome!" as soon as Callie said the word awesome, Tim couldn't help but smirk at Callie. Some habits are hard to break. He always gave Callie a hard time because when they first met, she made fun of Arizona for saying it. They may have only been kids at the time, but the first time he heard Callie say it, he knew there was something between the two. They had always influenced each other in ways they never realized.

"Look Tim, I know that this is definitely not the time or place, but...maybe we could talk? Sometime later today maybe? I need to head home soon so today would be good."

Tim looked to be contemplating his day and said, "You know what, I could possibly make some time this afternoon while Zac takes his nap. Um, for me to do that though, I need you to watch Zac for a little bit this morning. I have things to do around mom and dad's since they are gone on vacation, but, this will be perfect!"

"Tim, I don't…"

"Yeah, this will be perfect." He cuts her off. "I have a tab so his breakfast is taken care of, here is a bag with his things and,"

"Tim this isn't a good idea…" Callie is beyond flustered at what Tim wants her to do. How in the world can she watch Arizona's little boy?

"I shouldn't watch him. Arizona wouldn't want that and what if something..."

Tim once again cuts her off. "Nope. This is perfect. You also need to quit assuming you always know what she wants. So, here is his bag," Tim says as he stands. "Oh! And here are my keys. It's the blue SUV out front, take it. You for sure aren't putting him in that old mustang of yours."

Callie is speechless. She is frozen to her spot as gathers his jacket and turns to Zac and says, "Okie dokie buddy, Miss Callie is going to take care of you for a little while so I can go get some things done at Grammy and Gramps's house. You be good and I'll see you in a little bit. Ok?" Zac looked at Callie and back to Tim.

"Yay! I like her."

"Alrighty then little man, be good."

As he kisses Zac on the top of the head, he looks back to Callie and holds out his hand again. She looks confused as she asks, "What?"

"I'm not going to walk. If I am giving you my keys, I need yours."

"Tim, I still don't think this is a good idea. Arizona will be..."

"Callie, I'm not taking no for an answer. You wanna talk to me? Then you will watch him for me, and then, we will talk. Take him back to the farm. I left it unlocked when we stopped for his train this morning. We forgot it and had to go back to grab it. He is a great kid and you will love him. He won't give you any problems. Now, keys?"

Yeah…. loving him is what she is afraid of, especially since he reminds her so much of Arizona. She reaches in her purse and pulls out her keys. As she hands them to Tim, she says, "I still don't think Arizona will be happy if she walks in and I'm there with him. Or better yet, her girlfriend or whatever walks in and see her ex-wife."

"Wife. Not ex. Besides, there is nothing to worry about on that front, and Arizona is out of town. So you can't even talk her into signing those papers yet. She won't be back until tomorrow.

"Oh." That isn't what Callie wanted to hear. She was hoping to resolve this today.

And with that, Tim walks away and winks at Lucy as he heads for the door.

Callie stands befuddled about what just happened. This really isn't how she thought today was going to go. This seems to be the theme of her trip though. As she is still standing there, Zac munches on his pancakes and watches Callie. He seems content to just watch the brunette.

Lucy brings Callie out of her thoughts as she arrives with her breakfast.

"Honey, here's your breakfast."

"Abuela!" Callie's eyes look like they are going to bulge out of her head.

"What did he just call you?" She looked at her mom for an answer. She wasn't expecting that. She looks from Lucy back to Zac, as he jumps from his chair to give the older woman a hug.

Lucy ignores Callie's question. She thought they had already been over this. "Zac honey, I wasn't expecting to see you today. What a pleasant surprise!" Lucy hides her smirk from Callie as she gives the small boy another hug. "How about some more chocolate milk for my favorite guy?"

"Yeah!" Lucy turns and walks back to get the chocolate milk refill. Callie watches Zac sit back down and get the same look on his face that Arizona gets as she is deep in thought. Or, at least she used to, she thinks. Zac finally voices the causes of his wonderings.

"Is she your friend too?"

Callie says, "No, she is my mom." Zac gets that "deep thought" look on his face and once again, decides to ask another question.

"So, if she is your mom, does that make you my uncle like uncle Tim?"

Callie can't help but chuckle but then turns serious again, and says, "No. Girls aren't uncles. Girls are aunts."

"Are we family?"

Wow. What do you do with that question? And, just to be fair, it just now really dawns on Callie what she truly, by law is, to this little boy. A little boy who is apparently smarter than most kids his age, otherwise, she wouldn't be having this conversation with him.

This little boy is her…. stepson? Son? Biologically nothing. But still, being married to Arizona, well, that does mean something, even if it insn't for long.

"Um…uh, I'm not…" Callie is having a really hard time figuring out exactly how she should answer this question. The truth is, well, she didn't know herself. Legally, once those papers are signed, she will be absolutely nothing to him. Lucy makes herself known after hearing the conversation.

Tim didn't want Arizona moping over Callie and really did want her to get on with her life. But he knew if Callie ever came back, he would do everything in his power to push them back together. With Arizona being out of town, it made this plan so easy to put into action. So, once he put Zac to bed, he called Lucy last night. Of course, she wanted nothing more than the girls to find their way back together again. So she agreed to get Callie to the diner for breakfast. They knew Callie would try to enlist Tim into helping her talk to Arizona. Oh, Callie couldn't have really thought he would help get Arizona to sign those papers? Only if that is what his sister really wanted would he do that.

Lucy and Tim didn't think about the possibility of Zac asking those questions. She and Tim should have anticipated that when they planned this "chance meeting."

"Zac honey, here is your refill. Callie isn't your aunt, honey," Lucy replied. "It doesn't always work the way it does with Uncle Tim. His parents are your grandparents and he is your uncle. But, in this case she isn't your aunt. But, she used to be very, _very_ good friends with your mommy. Ok?"

Zac didn't seam to question Lucy, he just shrugs and offers an, "ok." Callie looks at her mom and mouths a silent thank you as she sits down by Zac. Her breakfast that was now somewhat cold, wasn't even appealing anymore. Her stomach is in knots and she can't even handle the thought of eating anything now anyway.

She looks up when she hears her mom turning on the t.v. "Look honey, a little bit of New York here on our t.v. to make you feel like you aren't missing out on anything."

When Callie looks up and sees what her mom is referring to, she manages to mutter out, "watch him," as she runs to the bathroom. Apparently seeing Cam on New York Daily isn't what she needed this morning.

"Callie, what's..." But it was too late for Lucy to get anything else out. Callie was barely in the bathroom when Lucy heard why she took off running. "Oh Callie, we aren't letting you just walk away. We will make you see what you are missing. It won't be easy, but nothing good ever is," Lucy said aloud to no one.

As Lucy kept Zac entertained, Zac asked, "What's wrong with Callie?"

"Well, she isn't feeling very good today."

"Mommy wasn't feeling good yesterday either. She was crying."

"She was?" Lucy knew this woulf be hard in Arizona. She wasn't one to show feelings to everyone else. And she probably didn' think Zac would tell on her.

"Yep. She said Zac cuddles would make her feel better." Zac thought for a minute. "Do you think Callie needs cuddles too?"

"Maybe so Zac. You think you can give Callie cuddles today?"

"Yep! My cuddles made mommy all better, so they can make Callie better too."

Just as Zac finishes his breakfast, Callie comes back in and heads straight for the tv. She turns it off and sits back down at the table.

Lucy wonders what's up with that but chalks it up to a rough morning with Callie being caught off guard with babysitting. Callie sits down and says, "Mom, I can't do this. I can't take care of him."

"Calliope, you will be fine. I know you probably have reservations about watching him, for many different reasons, but"

"Mom!" Callie said a little too loudly, causing Zac to look at her. "Sorry Zac, I didn't mean to be so loud."

"It's ok," Zac said as he went back to finishing off his milk.

"Mom, I can't. You need to keep him here."

"Callie, I'm working. You need to do this. Like I said, I know you are worried about it. I also know you are strong enough to do this, even if you don't realize it."

Callie sits and releases a big sigh. "Well, seeing as I don't have a choice, I will be home after Tim and I talk."

"You will be fine. Zac here is an amazing little guy. He is so much fun." As she stands to go back to work, she looks at Zac. "Zac, be good for Callie. Show her your books. She likes books as much as you do!."

"I will! Awesome!" Excitedly, Zac asks, " Can we go now? I am stuffed!"

"Sure. Let's get you cleaned up." As Callie wipes his face and gets him ready to go, Lucy watches as she returns to the counter. Callie picks him up and sets him on the ground. Taking his hand, she looks to make sure they have everything.

"Well, I think we are ready. Bye mom. I'll see you in a little bit."

"Bye you two."

As Callie tries to figure out which car is Tim's, she hits the unlock button listening for the beep. She quickly finds the car and gets Zac buckled in the seat. She shuts the door and gets situated in the front. "Ok Callie. You can do this."

Callie starts the car and sits there for a few minutes. She has never been this nervous in her life. "Why did you make me do this Tim?" She mumbled under her breath. She slowly puts the keys in the ignition and turns it on, all the while, telling herself everything will be fine. She puts it in gear and they slowly make their way back to the farm.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Arizona is sitting by the window of the plane, ready to face the big apple. Sometimes a change of scenery is nice. She hasn't had to leave home up to this point. Her books have been selling great with the small publisher she has been using, however she knows there is more out there for her. They say things can make or break you. She has already been broken so maybe this will be what makes her.

Her latest book is finished and it is time to find it a home. Arizona hopes to land a multi-book deal today that will take care or her and Zac for the next few years. She never really wanted to actually make a living as an author, but for a hobby, she has done very well at it.

Hoping to find a multi-book deal today, she has brought her latest rough draft of her latest project with her. She has extra high hopes about it since she was contacted by them through her agent.

As Arizona walks through the airport, she thinks about her day. It's a big day and she probably shouldn't head to her meeting with an empty stomach. She checks her watch and it does look like she has a few hours to kill. She decides to grab a donut from the little café in the airport before she heads out.

As she peruses the cafe, she places her order for a delicious looking chocolate and strawberry donut. She finds a quiet table and takes out her laptop. Yesterday was emotionally hard and has given her some thoughts she wants to jot down.

She found a few years ago, that tales of love and broken hearts were so easy to write after living through both. Motherhood has brought about new and wonderful feelings as well, but also an abundance of reminders of what could have been. All of that lends itself to thoughts and feelings to incorporate into her characters.

When Callie first left, the only things she took were clothes, a few pictures Arizona later found to be missing, and her mustang her grandfather left to her when he passed away the year before. She really thought if Callie was serious about leaving for good, she surely would have taken more than that with her. Belongings that she would have wanted divided up and then they would have argued over. Instead, only necessities were collected before Callie left.

The first six months were the hardest. Arizona found herself struggling. It was hard enough to lose not one, but two children. Then to have a wife leave on top of that...it was more painful that you could imagine.

The next year, Arizona was knee deep into teaching and writing. Somehow, even the though the pain of the past was still there, she found a way to push through. It was in her nature to try to find the best in any situation. She wanted to see Callie leaving as only temporary. She wanted to believe Callie needed some time. Time to find herself, to heal, to forgive herself.

After receiving divorce papers for the very first time, Arizona thought she wouldn't survive. It was a devastating blow to receive the papers however she tearfully decided there was no way she would ever give up on the love of her life. She sealed them back up and returned them to the lawyer unsigned.

The second time she received papers, was actually a little easier. The element of surprise was gone. Although Callie made it clear what she wanted and intended to go through with it, Arizona was determined. She ripped, placed them back in the envelope unsigned, and sent them back to the lawyer.

The third and fourth time she received them, it just made her mad. She took them to work with her and shredded them, both times, into tiny shreds and put them in a box, then mailed them back to the lawyer once again. It didn't accomplish anything than making her feel a little better. Boy did seeing them shredded make her feel better though. It was like an exclamation mark to her "no."

When the papers stopped coming. Arizona thought her point was finally getting through to Callie. That maybe Callie was giving up on the idea of a divorce and just needed to come around. She hoped Callie would realize that she still wanted her.

Arizona didn't talk to many about what she was going through. She had quite a support group but kept things to herself for the most part. She had Tim, she had her parents-Barbara and the Colonel. She had friends from town, like April, whom she had grown up with, as well as her friend Teddy. Teddy was hired at the same time she was, also to be an adjunct professor. Both were hoping to pay their dues in hopes that full-time faculty positions opened up at the college one day.

In the middle of receiving divorce papers, Arizona had completed two books. Taking a chance, she met with a small company about getting them published. She decided to use the name Bobbie Daniel as her pen name. She didn't have anything to hide and she wasn't ashamed, but like she admitted to Tim, she didn't want to have success and have Callie think she was better off without her. Bobbie came from her mom, Barbara. The Colonel's name is Daniel.

So, a few months later, Bobbie Daniel released her first book, and the second was ready 2 months later. The success of her books skyrocketed and her book began being distributed to more markets. She couldn't believe how quick everything had happened.

One night, that also happened to be the two-year anniversary of Callie leaving, Teddy took her out for a night on the town. As they sat in a bar, Arizona and Teddy started throwing back some shots, followed by wine. Lots of wine. The more they drank, the more Arizona opened up. As they were talking, Teddy mentioned wanting kids. Arizona grew quiet, but then admitted that she still wanted kids too. Not wanting to put a damper on the evening, Teddy changed the subject so they could get back to enjoying their evening.

A month later, Arizona thought back to the revelation she made to Teddy. About still wanting kids. Realizing Callie may never come back, she decided to have a child on her own. Her parents and Tim weren't too sure about it at first, especially since she wanted to do it on her own. She explained that she might have to wait forever for Callie but she didn't have to wait on the kids. She felt like it was something that she needed to do. She had always wanted kids and didn't see herself without them. It may not be happening the way she initially wanted and with who she wanted it to happen, but she needed this to happen

Arizona had a lot of internal debate on the best route to take to start the process. She and Callie had been down this road and it was time consuming to find the right donor. She wondered what she and Callie would do if they were doing this together, and then, she knew. She knew who to call and how to make it happen.

Four months later, Arizona was surprised when after one try, she had a positive test. The pregnancy had some ups and downs. There was some sadness that she was alone but joy in the fact she was bringing a new life into the world.

Arizona had remained close with Lucy and Carlos. They knew Arizona was the love of Callie's life and wished so much that she would have stayed. Arizona filled them in on everything she was doing and kept nothing from them along the way. They never strayed in treating Arizona like she was still their daughter.

When Zac was born, her family along with Lucy and Carlos, were right there with her. Tim was always there doing whatever he could, helping around the house, remodeling what he could and arranging for help with what he couldn't. Arizona's book sales had paid for a little bit of remodeling of the old farmhouse. She wasn't into material things but wanted to finish what she and Callie set out to do with the house. So, she took one room at a time. Tim helping her do most of the work made it pretty cost efficient.

When Arizona went back to teaching the following fall, Barbara would babysit while Lucy filled in when she wasn't at the diner. Arizona hadn't made full-time staff yet and rather enjoyed being able to set her own schedule. It allowed her to feel fulfilled career wise but also fulfilled as a mother.

Arizona continued on. Several tried to introduce her to other people and encouraged her to date. She tried one time, when Zac turned 2. At that time, Callie had been gone about 5 years. Teddy tried to set her up with a friend of hers. They met up at a nice restaurant, had good conversation, and actually had some common interests. When the girl asked if they could try going out another time, Arizona just couldn't do it. Her heart was still with Callie and so, she hadn't went on another date again after that.

In the time Callie was gone, she always wondered what Callie was doing. Wondering where she was working, what she doing, was she ok, was she...dating? All of those made for some sleepless nights on her part but she managed. She never asked Callie's parents about her. She wanted to...boy did she want to. Even though she had all those questions, she was also afraid of the answers.

As Arizona checks the time, she realizes she needs to head out and catch a cab. She gathers up her laptop and few belongings she brought along, and heads outside. As she catches a taxi and gives them the address she needs, she takes in the sights around her.

This is where Callie has been for six years. The only reason she knows that is because of the address that was on the damn divorce papers that were repeatedly sent to her. Looking around, she wonders how Callie adjusted to living here. She was always a small-town girl. This was never her scene growing up, but apparently it is now.

A ringing from her purse catches her attention. She finds it by the third ring and sees Tim's name on the caller ID. "Hey Tim. How is Zac? is everything OK?

"Yeah, everything is great. I just wanted to check in with you to make sure you made it."

"I did. The flight was great. Zac is ok though?"

"He's perfect! We forgot his train and had to go grab it this morning. I'm glad I picked it up yesterday. He loves that thing."

"He does love his trains," Arizona laughs. "Can I talk to him?"

Tim decides maybe he shouldn't have called. He didn't think she would want to talk to him. He just left the Callie and Zac at the diner to head to his parent's house. "Actually, he is pretty tired for some reason. He laid down and took an early nap." Tim felt bad for lying to his sister, but if this worked the way he wanted it to, and for her sake, he hopes it does, then she will thank him later.

"Oh, well, that's unusual. He is usually clock work with his naps."

"Well, you have to think though, he is having so much fun with Uncle Tim it's just wearing him out!" Tim thinks he is doing a good job covering but decides to cut the call short. "Hey, I need to go. I have a few calls to make while the little guy is napping. Good luck this afternoon. I'm sure everything will go well."

"Ok, you're probably right. He goes nonstop when he is with you. Ok, well, I'll call you later and check in. Thanks again for watching him."

"Anytime. Be careful up there."

"I will. Love you guys."

"We love you too."

Arizona hangs up and realizes the call ended just in time, as the cab stops in front of the address she handed the driver. She pays the driver and exits the cab. Walking into the tall building, she decides to head for the bathroom to refresh her makeup.

Once she is finished freshening up, she heads to the lobby to look for the directory. "Oh, there it is... Bellas Historias, tenth floor." She is a little bit excited for the possibilities and a little nervous at the same time. She could keep using the publisher she has, but this new change would give her so many more possibilities with wider distribution. "Ok, here I go," she says as she heads to the elevators.

Upstairs, Addie Montgomery is waiting for her 11:30 meeting. "Meredith, I'm sitting these business cards here on your desk."

"What did you do Addie?" Meredith wanted to know as she glanced at the cards. "Mustang Sally?"

"Yeah. I heard this song on the radio this morning by that name and it reminded me of Callie driving around down there in her old mustang. I told her she should fly instead, but she insisted. I thought it would make an excellent nickname for her. So much so, I had the little place next door rush some business cards made up with that name on them." Addie laughed while telling Meredith the story. She really thought she was being hilarious.

Meredith kind of chuckled, not finding it nearly as funny as Addie. "Ok, so I guess I will just set these right here."

"That's perfect. I want her to see them when she gets back. Whenever that happens to be. When I talked to her yesterday, she was hoping to make it a quick trip, but I haven't heard back from her, so we will see."

"Yeah, I haven't heard from her either. So, this potential new client should be here any time. You just want me to send them in when they get here?"

"Of course. I can't wait to meet them. Callie is in love with their books and is really wanting me to sign them. Hopefully we can make it happen. Callie pretty well said to give them whatever they wanted and she would edit the book personally."

"Ok, I'll send them in. Like I said, should be any time now."

"Great, thanks Meredith," Addie says as she walks into her office.

Almost as soon as she closes her door, the elevator opens. Arizona walks up to the reception desk. "Hi, I'm Bobbie Daniel, I have a meeting with a... Miss Addison Forbes at 11:30," she says looking at the business card in her hand.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

As Callie pulled into the driveway, a huge wave of relief rushed over her. Her biggest fear at this moment was that something would happen to Zac while in her care. She couldn't stand the thought of something happening to him and it being her fault. She couldn't fathom something happening and having to tell Arizona.

Stopping in front of the house, she grabbed her purse and proceeded to go unbuckle Zac from the back seat. "You ready to go in the house and show me your books Zac?"

"Yeah!"

Setting him down beside the car, he waits for her as she grabs his bag. She shuts the door and takes his hand and they head for the house. As they walk, she looks around and notices some things that she missed yesterday.

Arizona has done a lot of work to the outside. The most notable thing she sees is a small barn off towards the lake. A fence is half put up but she can see a pile of wood beside it like it is still in progress.

"Are you going to be getting some animals Zac?"

"Yeah. Mommy wants chickens. And I want a goat. But mommy says we have to wait a little longer. She says the fence needs to be done first."

"I'd say Mommy is a smart lady. You don't want the animals to get out."

As they approach the door, Callie hesitates. It's been six years since she has been in the house. So much has changed since then. She is filled with a sense of "home" as she walks in, which is unexpected. She also doesn't think she has a right to feel like that anymore.

The door is unlocked just like Tim said it would be. Upon entering the house, the first thing she sees is the fireplace that adorns the living room. A sense of nostalgia washes over her as memories come flooding back. Who would have thought that looking at a simple fireplace of all things would send a rush of memories through her? So many nights were spent in that very spot. She isn't given long to get lost in the memories though.

"Come on Callie! I wanna show you my room! I have lots of books and trains and cars and all kinds of stuff!" Zac continues to tell her what all he has in his room. She hurries and puts his things down, along with her purse, and follows the little boy upstairs. He sure does get excited, she thinks.

She notices the pictures that line the hallway going up. She has always had a fascination with looking at pictures. These are no exception and these pictures are giving her glimpses into Arizona's life after she left.

Similar to what she observed in her old room at her parents' house, she sees some of just Zac and some of Zac and Arizona both. She notes that she doesn't see any of Arizona with another woman along the way, not that it would matter if she did though. As she tops the steps, she falters as she passes what used to be "their" bedroom. She doesn't look in right now. She is too overwhelmed as it is. As they head down the hall, she just knew which room he was heading to.

The last time she was in this room, it had been painted a pale yellow, upon Arizona's request. They weren't sure of the sex of the babies when they painted, so Arizona wanted something that would be neutral. They never finished decorating the room. The accident happened before they had a chance to.

A sadness engulfs her but Zac again doesn't give her time to get lost in her thoughts as he bursts through the door excitedly. He seems to have a way about him that way. Callie takes a deep breath as she enters. She is surprised to see the walls have been painted a light blue on top with a darker blue on the bottom. The dark blue is very uncharacteristic of Arizona. She usually preferred only the lighter shades and argued when Callie suggested anything different.

A small toddler bed was covered in a Thomas the Train bedding set. A railroad light hangs in the corner and looks to be used as a night light. Zac runs over to a rather large bookshelf for a three-year old and says, "Callie, come see my books!"

"Wow Zac! You have a lot of books!"

"I know! Mommy reads to me all the time. I have lots of books about trains too! See?" Zac shows her two books that he has just pulled off the shelf. "These are my favorite!"

"Really? I'll tell you what, why don't we take you to the bathroom and then maybe we can sit on your rug over there and read them?" Callie had no idea if he was potty trained or not so it is better to find out now before they get situated.

Zac yells, "follow me!" He once again grabs her hand and heads back into the hall and towards the restroom. It is decorated in a mint green with a farm animal theme. Pretty fitting, Callie thinks.

After getting him situated and hands washed, they are once again headed back to his room. Turns out, he is potty trained. She doesn't have to worry about that now.

As they walk in back into his room, he pulls a red blanket off the edge of his bed and hands it to Callie. She listens as he chatters away. He doesn't seem to ever be at a loss for words. Finally, he grabs his books and instructs Callie to sit on the rug. She does so and is surprised when he plops down onto her lap as he giggles.

"Here Callie! Read this one first!"

"Let me see...," Callie says as she reaches for it. They settle in and read the first two books Zac picked out, followed by a third and fourth. After that, he wanted to show her his Thomas the Train collection. The little wooden trains sat on a table in the opposite corner. He showed her each train and named it as he rolled them around the little wooden track.

Callie decides to pull her phone out while he is playing and text Addie. It should be almost time for the meeting with Bobbie Daniel.

 _"Hey Addie. Just checking in. Things aren't quite going the way I hoped and I'm not sure exactly when I will be back now. She is refusing to sign the papers. Again. Apparently, she had to leave for work today and won't be back for a few days. I'll wait until she gets back but if she won't sign them, I'm going to have to get a lawyer."_

 _"Oh no. That's not what you wanted. Hopefully she comes back ready to sign them."_

" _Yeah, I hope so. I have already made a mess of things, I don't want to make things even more difficult for her."_

" _You ok?" Addie asked. She knew Callie had been dreading this and really had been worried about her._

" _Not exactly. Tim made me babysit... for Arizona's son. So, I am currently at Arizona's house...my old house... with her son. It's tougher being here than I thought it would be."_

" _Sounds like a lot has changed since you have been gone. Look, I see through the window that our next client is here. Meredith is talking to her. And I have to say, boy would you think she is hot!"_

" _Addie….my life is already complicated enough. Just seal the deal."_

" _You got it Mustang Sally."_

" _What?"_

" _That's your new nickname. Shoot, they are heading this way. Gotta go."_

Callie puts the phone down wondering what that was about. She listens as Zac continues to talk. She is starting to wonder how much longer Tim will be.

"Hey, you know what? Maybe we can take a walk down by the lake. What do you think?"

"Can I swing too? I Love swinging!"

"You sure can. Let's put your shoes back on and we will head outside then." The truth was, she needed some fresh air. Being here in this room, in this house, she just needs to take a breather.

After his shoes are on, they head outside. Once on the other side of the small barn, she notices some chicken coupes.

As they approach them, Zac pipes up, "that's where mommy's chickens will live. She says she wants 4 of them. She said I could have 2 goats. I'm going to name them Thomas and James."

"Oh, I see. You are going to name them after the trains?"

"Yeah! I think mommy should name her chickens after trains too," he laughed. "She said we would see." Apparently this kid lives and breathes trains.

While walking around the lake, she made sure not to let go of his hand. No way was she taking a chance with him running towards it.

"Can we swing now? I want you to push me!"

"Sure. Lead the way," Callie told him. And sure enough, still holding her hand, he pulled her toward the swing set.

After a little fun on the swings, Zac asks about lunch. They head back to the house and head to the kitchen. She sets him in his booster seat and looks for something to fix. Everything is in the same spot as it was before.

"I see some chicken nuggets, what do you think? Sound good?"

"I love chicken nuggets! Can I have some juice too? Apple juice is my favorite."

"Let me look and see what's in the fridge." Callie opens it and grabs the juice. Finding a sippy cup in the cabinet, she gets him set up with his juice and fixes his lunch. She finds stuff to make herself a sandwich and the two eat together. After not eating breakfast this morning or dinner last night, she makes herself eat a little.

"So, Uncle Tim should be back any time, but until then, how about we go find something to watch on tv after we are finished eating?"

"Can we watch Thomas?"

"We will see what we can do." Boy does he gave a one track mind, she chuckles.

They finish eating, chatting the whole time. Once they are done, they head to the couch and she finds the remote. The furniture is new and the living room has been decorated in a farm house contemporary décor. It really suits Arizona, she thinks.

After finding a show he is happy with, she sits down and finds him crawling right back into her lap. He is apparently a big cuddler.

The next thing Callie knows, she is woken up by her phone. She lays Zac down and goes to get it out of her purse. She didn't get to it in time but sees it was a call from Cameron. She hates to admit it, but she is glad she missed her call. She doesn't want to call back right now and decides that can wait. She then notices a new message pop up.

" _I miss you."_

Deciding she shouldn't totally ignore Cameron, she decides to send a simple message back.

" _Sorry I missed your call. Been a busy day. You too."_

"That's all I can give her right this second," she says to herself. "Now , let's text Tim and see where he is. I thought for sure he would be back by now," she says after noticing the time.

She pulls up his number and sends a text.

" _Zac is taking a nap. Has been out for a little bit. You coming soon?"_

" _Just a sec…"_

About a minute later, her phone rings with Tim's number. "Hey Tim."

"Hey Callie. Everything ok?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, everything is fine. We kept busy earlier and then had some lunch. After that, we decided to watch tv and he fell asleep."

"Cool. He's a great kid. Look, I know I told you we would talk, and we will, but, well, I hate to ask this, but can you keep him a while longer? Work just called and there was an incident I need to take care of."

"Tim, I shouldn't even be here in the first place. I can't stay all evening."

"I wouldn't ask if I had other options. I already checked with a few people and everyone already has stuff to do. Mom and dad are out of town and I even checked with Lucy and she said someone called off so she has a double shift tonight."

Callie can't believe this is happening. She is already here though so she doesn't have much of a choice.

With a heavy sigh, she breathes out, "ok."

"Thank you so much Callie. Look, I gotta go, I'm just pulling in. I'll check in with you in a bit."

"Yeah, ok. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye"

Just like that, the call was over.

Sitting at the diner, Tim hung up the phone. "Well?" Lucy asked.

"She bought it. Now, to keep her there until Arizona gets back. And if I know my sister, she will change her flight from in the morning to tonight. She hates being away."

"I know she does. Let's just hope this doesn't backfire."

"It will backfire or they will both thank us. One or the other."

At Arizona's, Callie decides to go ahead and text Cameron again since she has a few minutes while Zac is still sleeping. She lets her know she will be out late babysitting for a friend. Hopefully that way she is off the hook for another phone call later. She knows Cameron doesn't deserve the silent treatment but she hopes the texts will suffice for now.

Callie decides to look around since Zac is still out. She notices Arizona's book shelf and notes how their tastes are still similar. Just like before, they still read a lot of the same books. She sees that Arizona even has the collection of Bobbie Daniel just like she does. Some might find that strange, but it just reminds Callie how alike there interests were. Best friends were like that she guesses

She needs to use the restroom, so she checks to make sure Zac is still sleeping and heads upstairs. After using the restroom, she stops outside Arizona's room. She doesn't have a right to go in there, but she can't help herself. She feels a need to go in. So, albeit hesitantly, she opens the door.

It takes her breath for a second. It's exactly the same. Arizona even has the same bedspread she had on there when she left. The only thing that has changed are the pictures. The frames that used to hold pictures of her and Arizona now hold only pictures of Zac and Arizona.

As she is about to pick up a picture on the dresser, she looks over to see  
what used to be their jewelry box. She opens it and finds several pieces she remembers. She is surpised to see a pair of matching necklaces they both used to have still there. Arizona used to love jewelry, so she would buy it for her for special occasions like birthdays and Christmases. She lifts the tray to look at what is underneath. She notices that Arizona doesn't have her wedding band in there. Not that she expected her to still have it though. She wouldn't blame her for tossing it along the side the road somewhere.

Zac opens the door as she is just closing the jewelry box back up.  
"There you are. I've been looking for you."

"I'm sorry buddy. I had to come to the bathroom and got lost." She can't help but adore the blonde tussled hair little boy. Sweet doesn't even begin to describe him. He has so many of Arizona's physical characteristics but also has so many similarities in their personalities. "Come on, let's go to the bathroom and then maybe we can find a snack."

The afternoon is spent doing a lot of the same things they had done throughout the morning. She explains that Uncle Tim is taking care of something and will be tied up for a little bit. He doesn't seem phased and pulls her along from one activity to another.

Before she knows it, Callie is fixing them dinner. He asked for mac and cheese for dinner and it happens to be one of her favorites too. After dinner, she decides he should probably have a bath. She decides to rummage through his drawers to find jammies then draws his bath water.

After he is all done with his bath, Callie takes him into his room. He talks her into reading him a bedtime story and she is getting to where she can't hardly tell him no. He picks out another train book and Callie sits down beside him. After she starts reading, it doesn't take him long to fall asleep but she sits a while longer.

The day, although somewhat awkward because of the circumstances, has been very enjoyable, and it just serves to remind her of what could have been. She made mistakes and now has to live with the ramifications of those though. Being a mom was something Arizona always wanted...they both did. She is glad Arizona has Zac. She really is. She just wished she could have been the one to make her dreams come true.

Watching Zac turn in his sleep, she takes a minute to look at him. He is as close to a miniature Arizona as he can get. His hair is the same golden color, he has dimples just like her, his nose is shaped the same. She feels sadness wash over her. She will never know what her children would have grown up to look like.

When the babies were taken through c-section after the accident, they were 8 weeks early. Both appeared to be darker skinned, just like Callie. Neither had hair yet and of course they would never see smiles to know if there would have been dimples.

There are so many things she will never know. There isn't a day that goes by that they aren't on her mind. Or Arizona for that matter.

Although Arizona has not been here, she has been on Callie's mind all day. Being here and not being with Arizona is why she had to leave in the first place. It was too hard. She is starting to feel like that may still be the case. But once again she tells herself Arizona is better off without her.

Cameron should be the one she is thinking about, not Arizona. She knows it would hurt her tremendously if Cameron had access to her deepest thoughts today.

She pulls out her phone to see if there is a missed text or anything from Tim or Cameron. She wasn't expecting to hear from Cameron but is a little discouraged when she sees that she still has nothing from Tim. Since he hasn't texted, she decides to text him.

" _Hey, just checking in to see when you will be back. He is down for the night."_

 _"Oh man, I'm so sorry. It's been one thing after another. Be there as soon as I can, just not sure how soon."_

 _"Ok."_

What more can she really say? She really needs his help to get her to sign those papers. So, that means she babysits.

Callie puts her phone back in her pocket and closes her eyes for just a minute. She hasn't been around kids in a while. None of her friends in New York have kids and she forgot how exhausting they can be. It's a good kind of exhausting, but she is tired none the less. Hopefully Tim will be home soon.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Addison, this is Bobbie Daniel," Meredith says walking into Addie's office. "And Bobbie, this is Addison Forbs," she says motioning between the two. "

Addie walks over to Arizona and holds her hand out. "Please to meet you Bobbie. We here at Bellas Historias Publishing have been looking forward to meeting you."

"Nice to meet you too," Arizona says as she holds her hand out to shake Addie's. "My agent speaks very highly of you."

"That's what we like to hear. Have a seat, please," Addie says as she smiles and motions to the plush chair across from her desk. As Arizona makes herself comfortable, Addie decides to keep things less formal and sits in the chair next to her instead of behind her desk.

"So Bobbie, as I said, we have really been looking forward to this meeting. We didn't feel the need to have a big formal meeting, so it's just me here today."

"That's fine by me," Arizona says as she chuckles.

"So, why don't we just get right to it. Tell me a little about what you are looking for," Addie says.

"Well, as you already know, I have had pretty decent success where I have been. Unfortunately, they don't have the means to offer much more in terms of marketing and distribution."

"Yes, unfortunately, financial restraints really limit the smaller companies. We have been there ourselves. However, as your agent has told you, in the last year, we have really grown. We now offer both marketing and distribution on a world-wide level."

"My agent did tell me that. And, that is exactly what I am looking for."

"Great. Now, what else do you have in mind? Obviously, you have four books out already, which given the limited markets they were pushed out into, did phenomenal. I'm sure given more opportunity, that success will only multiply. Where are you at in terms of future projects? Any in the pipeline?"

"Actually, I brought this with me," Arizona said as she reached into her messenger bag, pulling out what looked to be a fairly lengthy draft. "This is my latest project I just finished drafting last week. If we can come to any agreements today, I of course would leave it with you."

"That's great to see. What about other future projects? How often do you see yourself wanting to release new material?"

"As I'm sure my agent told you, I am an adjunct English professor. My schedule is light and although my son is my main priority, I spend a good deal of my time at home writing. This draft I have here with me today is about 3 months in the making."

"Wow, that's rather impressive," Addie remarked. After reading the first three, I have to say, if the quality is anything like those, that is quite amazing. Our editor just started on your latest. She will also be very excited to see this newest draft."

"Thank you," Arizona smiled. "I think I would say, ideally, that's probably not going to be the norm, obviously. I would think one every 9-12 months would be what I would feel comfortable committing to. And as you know, the editing process can be rather lengthy at times. Especially if the writer and editor clash over much."

"Well, I would say you are being very realistic about the whole thing. Also, if it eases your mind any, our top editor is personally a huge fan of yours. She doesn't have a lot of time to read for pleasure but loves your books. It says a lot if she chooses to read your material in the limited extra time she has."

"That makes a girl feel good about herself," Arizona replies.

"So," Addie continues. "let me just cut to the chase and tell you where we are. I think as far as a timeline, what you can promise and what we would like, match up perfectly. It's actually what we were hoping for."

Addie reaches over to her desk and picks up a file and hands it to Arizona. "Here is what we are prepared to offer."

Arizona opens the file and scans the documents. "Bobbie, we are offering to sign a five-year contract. In the five years, we would require at least five books to be produced and distributed. More if you so choose, but that's totally up to your discretion. We have amazing people working in our departments and can promise unlimited distribution. Our marketing folks have been doing an amazing job. We have a photographer on staff and an artist to take care of any cover art you would need. We have it all. And, our top editor that I mentioned, she asked to personally be the one to oversee the editing of your books."

"Wow, it sounds really amazing, I mean, that's just...wow." Arizona can't believe how easy this is turning out to be.

"Well, the last piece of information I'm sure you are very interested in, will be on page five if you want to turn there."

Arizona flips to page five and looks through the document. Addie watches to see her reaction and isn't too surprised to see the grin on Arizona's face.

"As you see, you will be compensated a flat fee per book. Each book will then give you a return based on your sales. You get a very high percentage from each book you sell. I can assure you that with this offer, we have diligently researched that percentage and have presented to you more than what any other company can offer. We wanted to make an offer you would be crazy to refuse."

"Ok," Arizona simply said.

"OK?"

"Yeah, where do I sign?"

"Seriously, you don't want to take any time to think this through?"

"No. You are offering everything I was hoping to get. So," Arizona said smiling, "where do I sign?"

"Ok then," Addie says as she grabs another file folder off her desk. She sets it on the desk in front of Arizona and hands her a pen.

"Oh, one more thing. As we go through the process, we will try to do as much as we can remotely, through email and maybe video calls. However, we do like to see you for an initial sit-down with the editor once she has had a chance to go through it. Then we like to do one more at the final draft. Will that be acceptable to You?

"Absolutely."

"Great, then here is where you sign." Addie shows her where she needs to sign and then grabs an envelope from her desk. She waits until Arizona is finished signing then hands her the envelope.

"What's this?"

"That's a signing bonus. We here at Bellas Historias Publishing want you to know we believe this is going to be a great five years. That is just to show you our appreciation for trusting us with your work."

"Wow, thank you so much," Arizona beams. "I think it will be a great five years too."

"Alright then, I think that covers about everything. Do you have any questions?"

"No, I think that covers it."

"Excellent. Well, thank you so much for coming. You made my job easy today. I'm sure Meredith, our secretary, or our editor, Mustang Sally, will be in touch soon to schedule a time for you to come back and review the first round of edits."

"I'm sorry, Mustang who?"

"Oh my goodness, I apologize. I have started using a nickname for our editor. I didn't meant to use it in front of clients. I even had cards made up for her to see when she stops to talk to Meredith. We like to have fun around here. Her real name is Ca…"

Meredith's knock on the door interrupts Addie. "I'm so sorry to bother you," Meredith says as she likes her head in, "but there is a call I think you need to take. It's Millie from the London office She says it's urgent."

"Oh, ok. She was trying to handle a copyright issue this morning. She must be calling with an update." Addie stands up and turns to Arizona. "Bobbie, I hate to do this, but I need to take care of this. It's something that could become a problem if we don't take care of it asap."

"No worries Miss Forbes. Thank you for everything and I will leave this with you." She hands Addie the draft and adds, "I also have an electronic copy I will send if you have an address you want it sent to?"

"Meredith will set you up, right Meredith?"

"Absolutely. Shall we?" Meredith asks as she motions towards the door.

"Again, thank you," she says to Addie as she follows Meredith out the door

"No, thank you," Addie replies as she rounds her desk to take the call.

After Meredith sets Arizona up with the office email, Arizona takes the elevator back to the ground floor. As she exits the building she notices it us only 12:30.

She can hardly believe it was that easy. She was hoping for a contract but didn't think it could possibly be that painless. She expected to have to plead her case for a opportunity like this. She can't wait to celebrate. She booked a room for the night, expecting the meeting to run long. Looking at the time now though, she knows she doesn't want to spend the evening alone when she could be home celebrating with her little boy.

She takes her phone out and calls the hotel. Cancelling this late will cost her a few but she is more than ok with that. She grabs a cab and heads for the airport.

Walking up to the counter, she pulls her ticket out for tomorrow. "Excuse me, I was wondering if I can change my flight from tomorrow to a flight today. I've finished early and would love to head home sooner."

"Let me look," the attendant says. "It looks like the next flight with available seating will be around 7."

"I'll take it!" Arizona is ecstatic she will be able to make it home today. She grabs her stuff and heads to find something to eat. All the excitement has made her hungry.

After grabbing a small lunch, she finds an out of the way place to sit and once again takes out her laptop. Reflecting on the meeting, she realizes she was so caught up in everything, she never told them she wanted to use her real name. "Oh well, maybe we can address that later if I still want to change it," she says to herself.

Thinking back to her conversation with Tim, she thinks about what she can do to show Callie she really doesn't want a divorce. Some might think she is crazy, especially after Callie left her for this long, but she would take her back in a heart beat.

She ponders over what she needs to do to convince Callie she needs her? That she never wanted this and she still loves her, even after everything that's happened. She decides to let it go for the time being. There is nothing she can do right this second anyway.

As she opens up a blank document, new ideas are rolling through her mind now. She starts typing and before she knows it, she is hearing her boarding call.

The flight back to Virginia seems to take forever but she is now in her car heading home from the airport. She tried calling Tim several times with no answer. She knew if something was wrong, Lucy would have heard and called her, so she figures he and Zac have been too busy playing. Zac can talk Tim into about anything.

What she doesn't know is that Tim heard the calls, but let them go straight to voicemail. He wasn't going to risk her finding out what he did so soon. He has a plan and he wants it to work.

As she pulls up to her house, she sees Tim's car. "Oh good, I don't have to track him down now," she says out loud.

She walks in and the house is quiet. She sees a jacket she doesn't recognize but figures Tim has been doing some shopping.

She climbs the steps and heads straight to Zac's room. What she sees as she quietly opens the door, takes her breath away. There, cuddled up with her son, is the love of her life.

"Calliope..." she says softly.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Arizona stands motionless in the door as she continues to take in the sight before her. All her hopes and dreams are right there, cuddled on Zac's bed. After a few moments, afraid to wake either but not wanting to leave and have this moment end, she walks over and sits on the rug. If she never gets this chance again, she is going to take advantage of this opportunity.

Wondering why Callie is here to begin with, she thinks about Tim not answering his calls. She figures this is Tim's doing for sure. She should have known something was up. She reminds herself to thank him. She never thought she would have Callie home like this again. Even if it's only for this moment, even if she never gets the chance again, she will thank him for one last chance to have her here.

Every night for six years, she has closed her eyes at night and this is what her dreams have been made of. In this case, reality is more beautiful than dreams. Beautiful in every way, inside and out, her breathtaking wife is laying there with a protective arm wrapped around her son as he has his head snuggled in to the crook of Callie's neck. The only thing she regretted about having Zac, is that Callie wasn't with her, that she wasn't right by her side the whole time.

Tears begin to fill her blue eyes. Hurt for what they lost, hurt for what could have been, hurt for what they have missed out on. Everything should have turned out so different.

She can tell just by watching them lay there, with his favorite train book laying on top of the blanket, that she read him a bedtime story. They always talked about instilling their love for books in their kids. She did exactly that with Zac. She isn't surprised she had been reading to him. He always insisted on a story every night.

Watching them, she can tell Callie would be a wonderful mom. She always knew Callie would be, but watching them lay there, she has no doubt in her mind . She doesn't even have to see them interact to know that. She just…. knows.

Arizona flashes back to Callie seeing their twins for the first time, after they were delivered. It is such a painful memory. Callie was pretty battered and bruised from the accident. Her ribs were broken and a leg and arm were both casted. The biggest problem had been internal bleeding that almost took Callie's life as well.

When Callie was awake enough to hear the news, she was absolutely devastated. She was inconsolable and Arizona felt more helpless than she had ever felt in her life. The babies were put on vents and everything possible was done to keep them alive. They were just too small and had too many injuries.

They brought the babies in so they could see them. To hold them just one time. Their little girl was wrapped in a pink blanket and a matching pink cap. Their little boy was wrapped the same, only in blue.

They were given a few minutes to hold them. Callie was sore and very weak and could barely keep her eyes open. She only had use of one arm, so she required assistance. No words were shared except for Arizona asking Callie about names.

Not knowing the sex of the babies, they had discussed names for both, so they were prepared for either. Arizona sat in the bed by Callie holding their little girl while helping Callie hold their little boy.

Through tears, Arizona asked, "How about Isabella and Isaiah?" Callie, not able to form words, only nodded. When the babies were taken away, they knew arrangements needed to be made soon but right now, they needed to grieve.

Arizona never left Callie's bedside. As Callie became more alert for longer periods of time over the next couple days, Callie began shutting down, especially after more devastating news that she wouldn't be able to have more children. After they buried the babies, Callie just wasn't the same. She shut down completely and shut Arizona out.

Arizona continues to watch Callie and Zac, and grabs a blanket to cover up with. She just can't bring herself to leave. She grabs a floor pillow to lay on and just watches. They have been through so much, but this right here, this is what she always wanted. Even after they lost the babies, she knew they could have this. She just couldn't get Callie to see that. She covers herself up with Zac's blanket and just takes in the sight, never wanting it to end.

The next thing she knows, she is startled by a noise. As she opens her eyes, the sun is coming through the window and Callie is carefully trying to make it out of the bed. Callie has never been the graceful type though. Arizona watches, amused, as Callie tries to get up without waking Zac. As Callie finally stands, she turns and catches Arizona watching her. She was hoping she would be gone before Arizona came back.

Callie watches her for a second. She is wondering when Arizona came home and why she didn't kick her out the second she did. She figures she would have heard an earful the second Arizona came home.

"Arizona.."

"Calliope..." Arizona says as she stands.

"Arizona, I'm so sorry. I'm... sorry, I… I didn't mean to be here. I told Tim it wasn't a good idea but…"

Arizona cuts her rambling off. "Shh, let's go outside so we don't wake him." Callie nods her head and follows Arizona out of the room. Arizona shuts the door and turns to take in the sight of a freshly woken Callie. Hair tussled and sleepy eyes, she still takes her breath away.

Callie starts to fidget as Arizona continues to look at her. Callie's fidgeting catches Arizona's attention and she quickly snaps to. "How about we go downstairs? I can fix us some coffee." Callie nods so Arizona turns and leads them downstairs.

They get to the kitchen and Arizona notices that Callie must have set the divorce papers on the counter sometime last night. She ignores them and goes about preparing their coffee.

Callie has a seat at the table and just watches. Morning Arizona was always her favorite. She always had an energy about her and was the total opposite of herself.

Before she knows it, Arizona is setting a cup of coffee in front of her. "One cream and two sugars," Arizona says as she sits down beside Callie.

"You remembered. "

"Of course I did Calliope. "

They sit in silence and sip their coffee. It is sort of an awkward silence, but not as bad as either expected. Callie is the one who speaks first.

"I'm sorry you came home to find me here. I know that's the last thing you want. I ran into Zac and Tim at the diner and I wanted to talk to Tim. He said if I watched Zac and let him get some things done, then we could talk. It was the only way he would make time to talk with me. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I tried to tell him it was a bad idea. I didn't want to upset you and.."

"Calliope, I could never be upset to walk in and find you. Never. This is your home. You belong here." Arizona cut her off. She always used to find her rambling adorable. Right now though, she just wants her to listen.

"Arizona, this isn't my home. And I know the last thing you want is for me to be with Zac."

"Callie, why in the world would you think that I wouldn't want you around Zac?"

"Arizona, I'm trying to get you to sign divorce papers. On top of that, after what I did to our babies, I know you wouldn't want me around your son."

"Well, here's the thing. If I didn't want you around him, I would have signed those papers over there laying on the counter, years ago. As far as Isabella and Isaiah go, you know I don't blame you. We have been over that time and time again. As far as Zac goes, I would trust you with Zac over anyone else. You would never intentionally let anything happen to anyone."

"Arizona, it's my fault we lost the babies. Mine. Not anyone else's. I'm not supposed to be around kids. I'm not good for them."

Arizona sighs. She can see Callie's mindset hasn't changed much. "Look Calliope. I'm going to tell you this again. I don't blame you for the accident. I don't blame you for being upset, but it's past time to let it go. We had two beautiful babies. Let's remember them, but let's move forward. Whether you choose to move on alone, or with me, is beside the point right now. Callie just listens as tears roll from her cheeks. "But you told me to keep wearing it and I didn't. And I shouldn't have even been out that night. You told me not to come see you and to stay home."

"Callie….you have to stop. You missed me… we missed each other. My schedule with work and school was hectic and we hadn't had any time together that week. I will never fault you for coming to see me. I was just worried about you because you were so tired. I just didn't want you to wear yourself out. You thought you were doing a good thing by bringing me dinner, and you were. You need to quit blaming yourself. I never have blamed you. I know you didn't have your seat belt on but I'm not going to say you were wrong in that. You could have very easily been trapped in that car after it flipped if you would have had it on. You could have been trapped or worse, crushed, had you been wearing it. You aren't the one that ran a red light. The other car did. It's not your fault. You said the belt was too tight and it was, I know that. You had two babies in there taking up room. I can't honestly say I would have been still wearing the seat belt either if it had been me."

Callie just cries harder and Arizona gets up and wraps her arms around her, pulling her into a big hug. This isn't the way she wanted to have Callie in her arms, but it still feels so good to be this close to her. She lets her cry and even joins her, until the cries give way to muffled sounds.

As Arizona pulls back, she looks at Callie and uses her finger tips to wipe the remaining tears. "Look, I didn't meant to get into all that. It just all kind of came out. But, I meant it. You need to let go of all that guilt. Because I need you to hear me. I. Don't. Blame. You."

Callie continues to sniffle as Arizona talks. "That's not how I wanted to start our day. But I have to be honest, I'm glad I had another chance to tell you. I love you Calliope. I always have and always will." Arizona looks to the counter where the papers lay. She thinks back to her conversation with Tim and decides she need to prove to Callie how she feels. She decides to make a last stand, so to speak. If Callie still wants the divorce there is nothing she will be able to say to change her mind. But she decides that actions may be louder than words.

"I see that you laid the divorce papers on the counter," she says as she releases Callie and takes a step back."

"Uh, yeah. I figured that after you found out I was here, with Zac, you wouldn't want that to happen again. I figured you would gladly sign them."

"I will never gladly sign then. But I have a deal for you Calliope."

"What are you talking about?" Callie was confused as to where this is heading.

"Well, I still don't want the divorce. But if you do, then you do. I don't think anything I say will talk you out of it. And I know you well enough to know that if you want it bad enough, you will take me to court. So, I have a proposal."

"Um…ok?"

"Give me three days. You stay here, not with your parents. I can't talk you out of the divorce, but I can show you how much I love you and how much you belong here. If at the end of those three days, you still want a divorce, I'll sign the papers."

"Arizona, I can't stay here. Zac is here and…"

"Yeah, Zac is here. And I trust you with him completely. That's part of the problem. You don't think I could ever trust you with kids again. But you are so wrong. You staying here is the only way I can show you that I do trust you. With every fiber of my being. It's the only way to show you how I feel. I hope that when you see how much I still love you, and trust you with my son, that you will forget about the divorce and come back home where you belong. But if not, I promise to sign the papers, and you are free to do what you want with them. File them with the court or hang them on your wall ."

Callie sits and wonders if she can really go through with this. Being around her is hard. But knowing she is doing the right thing in her mind, by getting her to sign the papers, then maybe it's something she needs to do. She can worry about how hard it is on her later.

"Um…Arizona, I still don't know. I can't just stay here like nothing has changed."

"I know that. I don't expect something romantic from you. I just want you here... to just be here. You can sleep in the guest room."

Callie knows this isn't fair to Cameron. But, if it gets the divorce papers signed, isn't that best for Cameron? "I…I don't know. There is something you should know first. I mean…."

"Stop. No matter what you have to say, it won't change my mind. This is the offer, or you can take me to court. Three days Calliope. On Saturday, we are having Zac a birthday party. I would like you to go to that. Then, if you are ready to walk away, I'll sign the papers and you can go."

"I don't think this is a good idea Arizona. Aren't you worried about explaining to Zac why I am here?"

"No. I told him the truth the other day when he asked who you were. I told him you were an old friend. Calliope,…." Arizona paused trying to figure out how to word what she wanted to say next as Callie waited.

"Six years ago, my wife left me. More importantly though, my best friend, of almost fifteen years, she left too. So, you know what, maybe I'm being selfish right now by wanting you to stay, but…I…I have missed… my best friend. So… so that's what he will know…. that mommy's friend is here to visit."

Callie felt like she had been kicked in the gut. Hurting Arizona isn't what she ever wanted to do. She knew she would hurt her by leaving, but figured she would be ok and move on after a while. Right now, she couldn't have been more wrong. She knows they were way more than just wives. Best friends. She had felt the same way. And, she has missed her best friend too.

"You were my best friend too, and it wasn't easy to just leave. But Arizona, you have to know I truly believed it was best for you. And I know you disagree, but I still think you deserve better. I know you do. But... I uh... I'll stay. For three days. I still plan on leaving after his party. I still think you are better off without me."

Arizona knows she has her work cut out for her. She knows this is the last chance she will get. "Three days. That's all I ask, Calliope."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Zac comes walking into the kitchen rubbing his little eyes. "Callie, where are you?"

Callie looks at Arizona and Arizona gives her a soft smile. "Hey Zac, I'm right here."

As he opens his eyes to find Callie, he sees that Arizona is home. "Mommy!" He runs the rest of the way and gives Arizona a hug.

"Hey little man, Mommy missed you!"

"I missed you too Mommy!" As Zac continues to hug her, he looks over to Callie. He hops down and turns toward Callie and hugs her too. She seems surprised but hugs him back.

"Good morning Zac."

"Good morning. Your still here!"

"I am," Callie says hesitantly.

"Zac, I have some news. Callie is going to be staying with us for a few days! Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"Yeah! We had lots of fun yesterday." Zac beams as he looks at his mom then back to Callie.

"Yes, we did. Didn't we?" Callie smiles looking at the little blonde.

"Yeah! What are we going to do today? Can we swing again?"

"Well, we need to see what your mom has planned. And I need to go shopping. I didn't think I would be here this long and I need some more clothes."

"Oh," Arizona says excitedly. " I'm not sure that you need all new clothes but shopping sounds fun! I need to run by the college and grab a few files from my office. I have a few days off but forgot something when I left the other day. Maybe you guys can come see my office? Zac hasn't seen it yet either. Then, maybe we can go to the mall. Zac loves the mall, don't ya buddy?"

"Yeah! They have a merry go round! I love riding the horses!"

Callie smiles as she watches the excitement cross his face. "Sure, that sounds like fun. I haven't ridden one of those in years. Actually, I was with your mommy the last time I rode one."

Arizona nods and says, "Me too. That was a fun day." Deciding to get things moving, and incorporate Callie into their morning routine, she pipes up. "How about we let Callie fix us some of her scrumptious scrambled eggs and I'll go get you dressed and ready? Then, Mommy and Callie can take turns getting ready. Sound good?"

Zac doesn't answer, he just turns and runs out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

"Um, why did you say you didn't know if I really needed new clothes? I really didn't bring enough with me."

"You still have clothes in the closet."

"What?" Callie wasn't quite sure what exactly she meant. Surely Arizona didn't keep what she left.

"What you didn't take is still there. I didn't get rid of anything. So, you can look and see what you want to use, then when can shop for whatever else you need."

"Um…wow. Ok. Th...that's fine," Callie said surprised. Changing the subject, "Um, do you want pancakes too?"

"I think you know the answer to that," Arizona smirks as she walks out of the kitchen to help Zac.

Callie couldn't help but smile. Arizona always loved her pancakes and eggs. She never fixed them any different than anyone else, but Arizona always swore Callie's were the best.

By the time Arizona and Zac come back into the kitchen, breakfast is ready. Zac hops into his seat where Callie has a plate all ready for him. Arizona has a seat beside him and licks her lips as she stares at her plate. Callie had even refreshed her coffee. It's the little things like this that she has missed.

When Arizona picks up her coffee cup, Callie notices something she missed earlier. Her breath hitches as she sees that Arizona is still wearing her engagement and wedding rings. How had she missed them before? But then again, she was so overwhelmed with everything that she wasn't exactly paying attention. She noticed they weren't in her jewelry box, but never in a million years did she think she would be wearing them. She doesn't comment and decides to ignore it for the time being.

Zac dominates most of the breakfast conversation, talking about riding the merry go round and what he wants to shop for at the mall. He loves a toy store and isn't ashamed to let anyone and everyone know. Callie mostly listens, chiming in here or there when asked something. She is still a little in awe over Arizona still wearing her rings.

After they finish eating and Zac is wiped off, Arizona asks if Callie wants to get ready next. "Go on up and grab whatever. You know where everything is in the bathroom too."

"Oh. Yeah. I'll uh, I'll be quick."

"Take your time. I'm just going to put something on for Zac to watch then clean the kitchen."

Callie nods and heads for Arizona's bedroom. She was in here briefly last night, but now with permission she didn't feel as guilty. She walks to the closet and opens the door. There, on her side, just like before, are her clothes. She reaches for a blue flannel shirt that used to be one of her favorites. It must have been dirty when she packed. She pulls it off the hanger and then looks on the shelf to find a few pair of her jeans still stacked up. She pulls out a pair and walks back out of the closet.

Thinking there was a chance the drawers were still the same as well, she takes a chance and opens her underwear drawer. Yep, still some in there. She realizes she left more than she thought she did. She grabs what she needs and heads to the bathroom. Once again, everything is just like how it used to be. She hurries and showers, gets dressed, and then returns downstairs.

She hears Arizona and Zac giggling in the living room so she heads there. Arizona is making silly faces and Zac is laughing so hard. The sight makes her smile. They are so adorable together. When Arizona looks up, it catches her breath. Seeing Callie in what used to be her favorite curve hugging flannel has her tongue-tied.

She hops up and points upstairs unable to say anything. Callie just nods and then has a seat on the couch not realizing what she just did to Arizona. "What are you watching Zac?"

"I'm watching Paw Patrol. It's one of my favorites."

"I see." They sit in silence as Callie watches with him. She decides to pull her phone out and text Addie and Cam really quick.

 _"Hey Addie. How did everything go yesterday?"_

 _"Great! We signed her to a five-year contract. She was happy with everything. I told her you or Meredith would be in contact with her to set up the initial consult after you have had a chance to go over her draft."_

 _"That's amazing. I'm really looking forward to it! Look, I won't be back until Sunday or Monday at the earliest. Too much to explain now. But I'll talk to you later. Let me know if anything major needs my attention."_

 _"Ok. I think everything is covered. Just do what you need to do."_

 _"Thanks Addie, I'll talk to you later."_

 _"Anytime Sally."_

Callie rolls her eyes. Addie is something else at times. Her humor has gotten her through a lot the past several years though, so she is thankful for it. There is never a dull moment with her.

She takes a deep breath and pulls up Cameron's name.

 _"Hey Cam. I'm sorry it's been a crazy few days. I'm heading out to do some shopping. My phone battery is starting to run low. I'll try to charge it later. Hope you have a good day."_

A few seconds later, she gets a reply.

" _Hey sweetie. Miss seeing your gorgeous face. Have you told your parents the good news yet?"_

" _Uh, not yet. I am waiting on them to be in the same room at the same time."_

Just as she hit send, her battery died. Oh, well, she doesn't really want to deal with a lot of questions right now. Her emotions are all over the place.

Before you know it, they are all ready and are heading for the door.

"Oh, I still have Tim's keys. I should probably get them back to him. I know he doesn't like the mustang." Callie laughs. Tim helped her work on it after her grandfather left it to her. He was so fed up with fixing it he said he never wanted to see the thing again.

"I don't know that he hates it. But you were pretty insistent he work on it with you. He just got tired of looking at it." Arizona laughs as they head out the door.

"Follow me to Tim's?"

"Ok. That sounds good."

Callie drove Tim's car, following Arizona. They pulled up to Tim's house as he was walking outside. He watched them both pull up and smirked.

"Well, that worked well," he said aloud to himself. Boy, did he know his sister or what? He watched them pull up and Arizona got out, saying something to Zac before she closed the door.

"Hey sis."

"Tim….really?"

"What?"

"You know "what"." She used air quotes as she emphasized the what. "You and I will talk about this later," she said with a pointed stare. She might be grateful for getting this chance, but she isn't going to let him off the hook that easy.

"We are just dropping your car off. We are all three heading to the college and then out for some shopping. We will be back some time later for Callie's car."

By this time, Callie is heading over to them, holding out Tim's keys for him to take.

"Here you go Tim."

"Thanks Callie. I'm so sorry I didn't get back there last night. Things got crazy."

"Mmhm. I'm sure they did," she said, giving him a now knowing look. She has him figured out too.

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe it if I told you."

"Probably not." Callie shook her head at Tim as he smirked looking between the two.

"Well, it sounds like you two beautiful ladies have plans and some catching up to do. So, I'll let you get to it. I'll see you guys later."

"I'll text you when we head back this way and find out where you are."

"Sounds good"

"Hey, maybe we can all have dinner together?"

"Yeah, that sounds even better. Hey, I really have to go. I'll see you guys later. Be Careful." Before he left, he opened Zac's door and gave him a hug. "See ya tonight, buddy."

After Callie and Arizona got back in the car, Arizona turned on something Zac likes. As Zac sings, Arizona watches Callie out of the corner of her eye.

"So, Calliope, tell me, what have you been up to? Have you been working?"

"Um, yeah. I work with a friend of mine, Addie Montgomery. We met at a conference soon after I got to New York. She was looking to go into publishing and she was really dedicated to making something of it. Her family is rather wealthy and could have provided her with a turn key company if that's what she wanted. She wanted to do it all herself though. She did take start up money with the promise to pay it back when she made it into something. So, I went to work with her along with staying at the paper I was working for. Eventually, we had enough work to where I was able to quit the paper and went to work for her entirely. It has done so well she has even been able to pay her father back. "

"That's amazing."

"It is. She picked a fantastic group of people to help her get where she is. They are all extremely hard workers and she keeps expanding. She always gives them full credit for where they are now. What about you? You said you needed to go by the college. I'm assuming you are teaching?" She wanted to keep the focus off herself as much as possible.

"Yeah, I love it. I'm still an adjunct so I'm just part time still. But I like it better that way. It gives me more control over my schedule to spend more time with Zac. I have three classes at school and one online class. I think online is the way to go. The students aren't as mouthy that way." Arizona laughs talking about her work.

Callie wonders if that's all she is doing, how she was able to afford some of the improvements to the farm that she saw, but doesn't ask. It's not any of her business, just curiosity.

Before they know it, they are pulling into the parking lot on campus. They get out and make their way into the building and as they are coming off the elevator on Arizona's floor, they hear a voice.

"Hey stranger!"

As they look over, they are greeted by a smiling Teddy.

"Hey Teddy! How's it going?"

"It's great! How are you guys?" Teddy looking between the three of them.

"Teddy!" Zac ran to give her a hug.

"Hey big guy! I haven't seen you in a week and you look like you've grown a foot!" Zac just giggles. Teddy hadn't heard Arizona talk about having a date or anything, so the brunette with her is throwing her for a loop.

Arizona sees the confusion on her face. "Oh, Teddy, this is Callie. Callie, this is my colleague, Teddy," she says motioning between them.

"Oh. OH!" Realization hits Teddy.

"Callie is here for a few days. I had to pick up a file and I decided to show her the office."

"I see. Well, Callie, it's nice to meet you. I'm actually on my way to class so you guys enjoy your day." She smiles at them both and then as she is getting on the elevator, she turns back to Arizona and wiggles her eyebrows.

"Bye Teddy. Nice to meet you," Callie says, noticing the wiggling eyebrows she was giving Arizona.

"Bye Teddy, talk to you soon." Arizona turns back to Callie and leads her and Zac to her office.

"Here it is. It's a small office but it works for now. When I get a full-time faculty position, I'll get a bigger office."

"It's nice. I'm glad you seem to like it here. Teddy seems nice enough too."

"She is. She is probably the only person I really hang out with here. We were hired at the same time. She is in the same position I'm in for now. Oh, here it is," Arizona says locating the file she needs. "Ok, ready to hit the mall?"

They leave the college and not long after, they arrive at the mall and do a little shopping. Zac convinces Callie he needs a few more trains for his collection. She isn't one to tell him no but looks to Arizona for permission. She isn't sure how much he gets spoiled and doesn't want to do something she shouldn't do. Arizona nods her head giving permission so Callie tells Zac to pick out a few trains.

They spend a little more time at the mall, making small talk and having a light lunch. Before they leave, they make their way to the merry go round.

As Arizona lifts Zac onto the horse, Callie goes to get on a horse in front of him, but he insists she ride the one right next to him. She smiles softly and hops on to the horse next to him as Arizona stands by his horse to hold onto him.

By early afternoon, Zac is ready for a nap so they decide to head home.

The car ride home is a little quiet. Both are spending time with their thoughts, going over events of the day.

"So, what do you say we take him home now and then come back for your car later when we meet Tim for dinner?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll text him and let him know."

"Thanks." Arizona wants to ask a lot of questions but decides not to push it for today. Instead, she turns to the station that used to be Callie's favorite, since Zac is already passed out in his seat.

Callie smiles as she looks out the window. She shouldn't be enjoying this, but she is. She doesn't say anything when she notices what station Arizona changed it too. She just notes that Arizona didn't forget.

As they make it back to the house, Arizona strategically grabs the bags from the back and asks Callie if she would care to grab Zac. Callie quietly takes him up to his room and lays him down. The morning has worn him out and he doesn't even stir. Callie walks back downstairs to see Arizona unloading the bags. Zac ended up with toys and a few new outfits. Callie was able to find a few things she will need to tide her over as well.

"Hey, do you care to run me by my parents' house before we go see Tim? I need to grab my stuff I left there."

"Sure." Arizona watches her for a moment. "You know, they have really missed you. They have to be super excited that you are home."

"Yeah, I know they have. I haven't seen my dad since I have been back. He was working and then I fell asleep before he got home. We talk, but not often enough. I know I should do better."

"You should. They are wonderful people."

"I know. Mom told me you let Zac go over there and spend time with them."

"Yeah, I do. They um, they really have done a lot to help me over the years. They were always super supportive. It was nice. It was like, I… I still had a connection to you, even though you were gone. And they love Zac. He loves and adores them too. I don't think they have ever treated him as anything other than their own."

"I picked up on that. I have to admit, I was a little confused by it all at first. But the more I've thought about it, I get it. I do. I'm glad they were able to he there for you."

They look at each other for a few moments then Arizona asks, "How about we go watch a movie? He will probably be asleep for a while longer. He has had a busy few days." Arizona doesn't give Callie a chance to respond as she heads to the living room.

Callie sighs as she watches Arizona go past her to head towards the living room. This is going to be harder than she thought. That woman is going to be hard to walk away from again. She can tell it now.

They pick out a random movie on Netflix and both keep to themselves as they watch. About halfway through, Zac comes walking in and surprisingly sits on the couch next to Callie. She continues to be caught off guard by him. She figures she should probably get used to things like this. He grabs the blanket behind him and curls up next to her.

Arizona doesn't say anything, but just watches. "So, how about we finish watching this and then we can call Tim and see when he wants to have dinner?"

"Yeah, that sounds good."

Zac pipes up, "Yes! I wanna go for pizza. Can we have pizza?"

"Callie, how does pizza sound?" Arizona asks.

"Sounds yummy to me," she says as she tickles Zac's tummy.

Arizona watches them interact. The more they are around each other, the more comfortable they are together. After the movie, she texts Tim.

He texts back and they agree to meet soon. They get loaded up again and head to Carlos and Lucy's house. When they arrive, Zac insists on going in to see them, so they all get out and head to the door.

Callie goes in first and her dad is home and surprised to see her.

"Callie! It's so good to see you!" He gets up and heads to give her a hug but slows when he sees who walks in behind her. "Well hello to you two as well!"

He gives Callie a hug and she knows she has been missed. He squeezes her so hard. "Dad, I can't breathe!"

"Oh, sorry. I just missed you so much. It was so hard not to wake you the other night. We knew you were exhausted though."

"I wish you would have woken me."

As Carlos looks over at Arizona and Zac, he holds his arms at to Zac.

"Hey abuelo!" Zac rushes over for a hug.

"How are ya big guy?"

"Good! We went to see mommy's office and we went shopping. And Callie bought me some trains!"

"She did? That's awesome," Carlos says looking at Callie then Arizona.

"Yeah. And now we are going to have dinner with Uncle Tim!"

Carlos looks at the women and smiles. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, um, I actually need to go grab my bag out of Zac's room," she says quickly, then starts to head that way to grab it. "Where is mom?"

"She just called and had to work a little later. She will hate she missed you. Will you be back later?"

By this time, Callie is back in the living room with all her stuff. Carlos watches as she tries to figure out what to say.

"Um, no. No, I…I'm going to stay at Arizona's. I, I don't think I'll be back here to stay. But I will make sure to come and visit."

"Well," Carlos says, how about we have dinner tomorrow night. I'll help your mother cook dinner. How does that sound?"

Callie looks to Arizona to see what she thinks. Arizona nods and says, "We would love to Carlos. What time?"

"How about seven?"

"Sounds perfect," Arizona says with a nod.

"Well dad, I hate to, but we should really get going. Tim is going to be waiting on us.

They all say their goodbyes with the promise of dinner tomorrow night and head out to meet Tim.

For some reason, this dinner has Callie nervous. Hopefully it goes well but she has a feeling she should prepare herself. Tim has always been a handful.

 **Next: Dinner with Tim and their first night under the same roof.**

 _ **AN: So, up to now, Callie has definitely not been thinking clearly. Arizona just wants to shake some sense into her. Dealing with someone so pig headed and stubborn is hard. Some people are over-thinkers. I have one in my family and the simplest things are tossed and turned in their mind to where they don't know which end is up. Every little decision is thought through and then rethought, and they make everything harder than it should be, and wrong decisions are still made. I think that's where Callie is at. She is so stubborn that Arizona can't get through to her with words and Arizona realizes that, as frustrating as it is for her.**_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"So, Tim just texted and said to meet at April's instead of Pizza Palace. Why would we go to April's house for pizza?"

"Oh, he doesn't mean her house. She opened up a pub a few years ago. There are a few pool tables and they do serve alcohol, but it doesn't turn adult oriented until after 9. Before 9, it's family friendly, so we go to dinner there quite a bit. April figured out the best pizza recipe. She says it's all about the cheese."

"Hm. Never pictured April as an entrepreneur."

"Well, she really isn't. Her husband Jackson is the brains behind it. They wanted something they could do together and when the old Joe's went up for sale, they jumped on it. She kind of runs the food side of things and lets him handle the money side. He named it after her as a wedding gift."

"That's sweet."

"Yeah. So, before we meet Tim, let me just put it out there that he totally set you up in staying at the house last night. I would say I'm sorry, but I'm really not. But for your sake, I'll talk to him. It wasn't fair of him to play you like that."

Callie sighs. "Maybe not, but I'm sure he did it thinking he was helping you. He was always dedicated to you if nothing else. He said you were going to be gone for a few days. I take it that wasn't true?"

"No, it was. I wasn't supposed to be back until this evening. My plans changed though."

"That happens. Trip for school?"

Arizona doesn't want her to know about the books just yet. She tries to skirt around it. "Yeah, definitely a work related trip. There are just some meetings that are better face to face." There, that was vague enough, she thinks.

"Very true," Callie nods.

As Arizona pulls up beside April's, Zac gets excited. "I see Uncle Tim!"

Callie laughs and says, "You act like you never get to see him but I would guess you see him a lot."

"Yeah, but I love him." Zac just smiles

"Tim seems really good with him."

"He is. He spends as much time with him as he can. He's great with him. Not sure what we would do without him."

"That's great. I'm glad he is like that. I kinda always figured he would be though. He was so excited when we told him about…" Callie can't finish her sentence. She stops as tears fill her eyes and shakes her head.

Arizona reaches over and grabs her hand. She doesn't look at her or say anything. She is just acknowledging that she gets it.

Interrupted by an impatient Zac, "Mommy! Let me out!"

Arizona looks at Callie and says, "I'll get him. Take a minute if you need to."

"No, I'm good…I'm good." She wipes her eyes and opens the door to get out.

Arizona gets Zac and they meet Tim at the door.

"Uncle Tim! They were taking forever!" This causes Tim to laugh.

"Get used to it buddy. The ladies always keep you waiting. It only gets worse as you get older."

"Hey!" Callie and Arizona both say at the same time.

They both look at each other and exchange a giggle. "Don't listen to him Zac. Uncle Tim doesn't know everything."

"He says he does," Zac says innocently.

"Tim…" Arizona says as she sends him a playful glare.

"What? I usually do."

"Whatever!" Callie and Arizona say at the same time once again.

"Ok…I forgot how bad you two were at saying the same thing at the same time. It's still weird."

Arizona looks at Callie as Callie gives her a small smile. "Yeah, we were bad about it. We didn't see it as a bad thing though."

She doesn't look back to Callie after that. She leads them through the door and heads to their usual spot. Arizona grabs a booster seat and puts it in their booth. After she puts Zac in his seat, he pipes up, "Uncle Tim, sit by me!"

"Sure thing kid!" He smirks at Arizona as he slides in beside Zac leaving Arizona and Callie standing there.

"Um, you want the inside or outside?" Callie asks, trying to not make it awkward.

"I'll take the inside."

Arizona scoots over to make room for Callie. When Callie sits down, she wonders why they make booths so small. Her thigh is touching Arizona's and she isn't sure how long she can sit like this. Arizona on the other hand, is loving the feel of Callie so close.

"Hey Tim," April says as she walks up behind Callie, only seeing the back of her head. As she nears the table, she is taken aback when she realizes it is Callie.

"Callie? Is that really you? Oh my gosh! I can't believe it! We didn't think we would ever see you again!" She reaches down and gives her a an uncomfortable hug as Arizona clears her throat.

As she pulls back, she realizes what she said. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean like that. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I don't blame you. It's probably what everyone is thinking."

Realizing things are turning for the worse really quick, Tim pipes up. "So, I think we are ready to order. If I remember right, we always did one large pepperoni and two orders of breadsticks. Am I right?"

Looking at the two ladies, they both nod. "How in the world do you remember that?" Arizona asks.

"I told you, I'm about always right about everything. You should know that by now."

Sidetracking them worked as he gets a shake of a head from both of them.

Arizona looks to April, "Can we get a pitcher of Pepsi and a sippy cup of Sprite for Zac? What about you Callie, you still drink Pepsi?"

"Um, diet Pepsi now."

"Why? You don't need it, you look as beautiful as ever." Arizona's eyes get big as she realizes she said that out loud.

Callie turns to look at her and her eyes get big as well. She knows she doesn't need it per se, but it is part of her effort to be healthier.

Arizona looks to Tim for help but he just smiles and nods his head in agreement.

"Um, thank you?" Callie doesn't know how to respond. She knew Arizona always thought she was attractive, but wasn't expecting her to say that. She has lost about 20 pounds since she has been gone, but most of that was baby weight from the pregnancy. She weighs about the same now as she did when they got married.

April, trying to help her friend out, moves the conversation along. "Ok, a pitcher of Pepsi, a diet, a Sprite, large pep, and 2 breadsticks," she says smiling.

"Yep, perfect," says Tim.

April excuses herself and goes to get their drinks.

"So, Callie, you guys have fun shopping today?"

"Yeah, we did. We even rode the merry go round, right Zac?"

"Yep. She rode the horse right beside me. We raced on them."

"You did? Who won?"

"It was a tie." Zac says looking at Callie. "She is a pretty good rider."

"Those do take skill little man," Tim says as they all laugh. April comes back with their drinks and says their order is in. She heads back to the counter and watches their interactions. It almost seems like nothing has changed. Zac seemed to break the tension and they looked to be talking and laughing now.

At the table, conversation was kept light. They updated Callie on the different happenings around town. Nothing heavy just this and that and who who is doing what. Callie even starts to wonder why she was nervous about this.

"You were right Arizona, the pizza is really good," she says as she has cheese hanging out of her mouth.

Arizona laughs then reaches for a napkin. "Here, you have a little sauce right.. there..." as she wipes it away. As soon as she does it she realizes what she did.

"She does that to me too!" Zac says still laughing. Lucky for them, he takes the awkwardness away.

"Sorry. Old habit." Arizona says. Callie just nods and goes back to eating.

The rest of the dinner goes by without incident, and before long, it's almost time to leave.

As April brings their check, she says, "Hey, you know what, you guys should come back tomorrow night after the families leave. We are going to try a karaoke night!"

Tim jumps right on it. " Yes! We have to. We used to rock karaoke at Joe's!"

"Well, we are supposed to have dinner with Calliope's parents."

"Dinner won't last all night. Besides, they can babysit after dinner. It'll be perfect."

"Almost seems too perfect," Arizona says looking at Tim.

"Hey, some things are just meant to be," he says as Callie watches the two.

"What do you think Calliope?" Arizona asks.

"What?" Callie isn't sure if she is talking about karaoke or about some things being meant to be.

"Karaoke…" Arizona says realizing that Callie could have taken her question wrong. " We can have dinner and by the time dinner is over, it will be his bedtime. So we could get your parents to keep him and come here. Karaoke for old time's sake?"

"Um… yeah, I guess. Yeah, we can if you want."

"Cool! Hey, Arizona, call Teddy. Make her come too. And, maybe I'll call Mark. Yeah, this will be fun!"

Callie isn't sure about it herself, being like that with Arizona. It isn't a date by any means, but she is already feeling guilty. And this isn't going to help any.

"Arizona, will you call her?"

"Yes Tim. You do know she was dating someone, right? And still might be. I haven't talked to her about him the past couple days to see if they were still together or not. It's been kinda rocky."

"No ring so it doesn't count anyway."

"Callie is taking a drink and chokes as he says that.

"You ok?" Arizona asks as she hits her back a few times.

"Yep," Callie chokes out. "Just went down the wrong way."

"Ok, well let's get out of here. It looks like someone is getting tired. Tim, you are buying."

"What? Why?"

"Because," Arizona retorts giving him a look.

"Sheesh, ok…." Tim says.

As they go to walk out, Tim gets Zac out of his booster seat and sets him down. Grab my hand buddy and I'll walk you out."

"No, I wanna hold Callie's hand."

Tim smiles and says, "Whatever you want buddy," as he watches Zac grab Callie's hand."

Callie and Zac head to the car as Arizona grabs Zac's bag and Tim pulls out money. "What the hell did you do to convince her to spend the day with you? And dinner with her parents? Seriously. How did you do it?"

"It's not quite what you think. Before you say anything, let me finish. And we have to be quick, so shut up."

"Sheesh. That's mean."

"Shut it. So, I had this idea and it's probably stupid and in three days I will probably be kicking myself... If she wants a divorce she will get it one way or the other. You said I needed to prove to her how much I love her. So, I made a deal. She spends three days, with me. If she still wants to walk away at the end of those three days, I'll sign the papers."

"Damn. Totally didn't see that one coming. So, she is doing this to get you to sign the divorce papers and you are doing it to convince her to stay?"

"That's about right… look we need to go or she is going to know we are talking about her."

"Alright. I'm not sure I would sign the papers that easy, but that's your call."

"My intention is to make her see how, how... stupid she has been all these years for even leaving to begin with. She takes hard headedness to a whole new level , and I just need to make her see that I love her. That her reasons for leaving are just…just…stupid. I just want to at least plant a seed of doubt about the papers. If I can at least do that, maybe I have a chance."

"Then tomorrow night has to be good."

"Yeah. I know. Let's go… they are waiting."

When she gets to the car, Callie is holding Zac. "I'm sorry. Tim was still arguing about paying." She wasn't about to tell Callie she was giving Tim the 411.

"No problem. He was just getting tired and wanted picked up. His eyes are already closed."

"Yeah, on nights out like this he never makes it home still awake. You want to run by and get your car?"

"Nah, it can wait."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Let's just get him home."

Arizona opens the door and Callie buckles him in. The ride home, Callie is thankful that that Tim didn't ask her personal questions. She knows she needs to say something before someone asks and it comes out the wrong way. Maybe after they get back to Arizona's, she should tell her. She just doesn't think she can handle seeing her face when she does.

Arizona is also lost in her thoughts. She is going through different scenarios in her mind, trying to figure out how much to push and what else she can do to make an impression on Callie. Only two more days and Callie could possibly be gone from her life once again.

After they stop in front of the house, Arizona hands Callie the keys to unlock the door while she grabs Zac. After she manages to get jammies on a sleeping Zac and get him tucked in, she heads downstairs to find Callie waiting for her at the bottom of the steps.

"Calliope, everything ok?"

"Yes. No. Can we talk?"

"Um, sure. How about we get you settled in the guest room and then we can both get comfortable. Maybe meet back down here in fifteen?"

"Sure." Callie picks up her stuff and follows Arizona to the guest room. She used to follow her up the stairs all the time. It was never to separate bedrooms though. There were so many nights she followed her upstairs, but it was never to a separate room.

Arizona walks into the guest room and turns on the light. "Here ya go, I'll just... go get ready and leave you to it."

"Thanks."

Arizona nods and heads out. Once she gets to her room, she changes. She starts to put sweats on like usual, but decides she isn't going to go that route tonight. She looks through her drawers and pulls out a sensible pair of satin pajamas. They don't scream sexy but they definitely aren't your granny's jammies either. Just low enough to show a little something but still keeping everything covered. She pulls her hair back and decides to wash her make up off. Callie always said her natural look was her favorite.

Today has been nothing like she expected. She expected Callie to be resistant to everything she mentioned doing, but it was just the opposite. Callie was pretty reserved at times. She still doesn't have the sparkle in her eyes like she used to have. Callie used to be so carefree. Arizona longs to see that side of her again. Her laugh was the most beautiful thing about her at times. If she could only hear that laugh again.

Callie has been changing and getting ready to head downstairs. She has a pair of short pajamas on and has also decided to wash her face and freshen up. She grabs her phone and sticks it on the charger before heading down to talk to Arizona. She takes a second before she opens the door to collect her thoughts. Today was unexpected. More pleasant than she would care to admit. She feels so guilty. She needs to tell Arizona, she just doesn't know how. She takes a deep breath and opens the door.

Arizona happens to be coming out of her room at the same time. Both stop and stare. They don't even realize they are doing it. Arizona finally motions for the stairs and says, "after you."

Callie goes first. When they get to the bottom and Arizona asks, would you like a glass of wine?"

A little too quick, Callie says, "Yes please!" Realizing she said it too quickly, she backtracks some. "I mean, if you don't mind. Yeah."

"I don't mind at all. I always enjoyed a little wine in your system," Arizona says as she winks and heads to the kitchen.

Arizona gets to the kitchen and sees that Callie is stuck to her spot. She does a mental face palm wishing she would learn to not voice all her thoughts.

She grabs two glasses and a bottle and heads back towards Callie. She passes her and heads to the living room with Callie finally following. They both sit on opposite ends of the couch. Arizona pours them each a glass and hands one to Callie.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome. Um… sorry about what I said. I shouldn't have said that. It was inappropriate."

"Uh, that's ok. You always did say you liked me a little tipsy. You're just being honest."

"I won't deny that." Arizona looks at Callie for a moment, when a thought hits her and she gets excited. "You know what we should do?"

"What's that?"

"Scrabble! Come on, let's play. Just like we used to do all the time! With years of work experience under our belt, it should have helped our vocabulary tremendously," she says laughing.

Callie thinks for a minute and decides they could do this for old time's sake. "Sure. Sounds fun," Callie says smiling. Seeing Arizona excited has always one of her favorite things. She loves to see her happy. Her smile drops as she realizes what she just thought.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. It just hit me that the last time we played, you won. Now it's my turn to kick your ass with all this work experience we have." Callie isn't about to tell her what she was thinking.

"Game. On." Arizona is laughing as she gets up to grab the game. She sit back down on the floor beside the coffee table. Callie takes the hint and scoots down on the opposite side.

Oh my. They had some this so many times. They would play for hours and try to outdo the other on word choice. It was always, the weirder the better. Most words were challenged but they were on top of it. Most challenges were lost although every now and then, someone would try to sneak a made up word in.

"Calliope. Get ready. You are going down."

"I don't think so," Callie said shaking her head. But you tell yourself whatever you need to.

"Look at you, trying to trash talk but not doing a good job of it."

That causes Callie to smirk at her. "How about we let the points to do the talking?"

"That we can do," Arizona says as she doles out the tiles. "You go first."

"Hm. First words always suck."

"You can pass if you want." Arizona retorts.

"I didn't say I didn't have anything to play. I just said they suck. All the good spaces aren't useable so you end up having to play a bad word to save the good letters for the good spaces."

"Well, you can still pass."

"Nope," Callie says as she puts her tiles down. "There. F.L.A.P. "

"Well, at least it wasn't a total F.L.O.P. of a word," Arizona said smiling.

"Say what you want, but I think that is an acceptable first word. Let's see what you got."

Arizona studies it for a moment. "Alright, here we go... E.Q.U. Use your A. And here is an L. And I at least got the Q on a triple letter space."

"Not bad. Not bad."

A few turns later, Callie gets excited. She had been studying the board and started putting a few letters down. "Ok, adding on to my first word that sucked, is J.A.C.K. Flapjack. My J is on a double letter score and it's a triple point word! Eat it!"

The laugh that follows that play is a sound Arizona has longed to hear for years. It's the first truly genuine laugh she has heard from the brunette since she has been here. Arizona smiles and just watches. Oh, how she has missed this. Marriage aside, she really has missed her best friend.

Callie looks at Arizona and says, "what, you aren't even a little impressed with that one?"

"More impressed than you know Callie." Arizona just smiles and shakes her head.

After the laugh she just heard, Arizona thinks she could lose to Callie forever if it means hearing her laugh like that.

In fact, she may have let Callie win that game, and the next. Although, she might have tried a little harder the second game. She didn't want to be too obvious after all. But she was rewarded with several more laughs. Both women had the thought while playing that they hadn't laughed like that in ages. It felt good. They didn't ask questions or worry about the past, they just were. Just enjoying this moment for what it is, nothing more and nothing less.

"You know, I don't think we ever had scores like this before. All that work experience is paying off," Arizona laughs.

"Yeah, I think they used to be about half of what they are now," Callie agreed. "That's what happens when we have been editing and teaching for a while now."

When the last tile had been played and the bottle of wine emptied, Callie helped Arizona pick the game up.

"So," Arizona began. You still want to talk?"

Callie doesn't want to ruin the mood. They just had a very enjoyable couple hours and doesn't think that now is the time. "Uh, no. That's ok. We can talk later."

"If you are sure..."

"Yep, I'm sure."

The study each other for a few minutes. Arizona says, "Well, we should get to bed. Zac isn't very predictable on how early he gets me up at times," she says as she laughs.

"Yeah, I'm actually getting really tired. The wine is catching up with me."

"Yeah, me too." Arizona nods as she stands up. She picks up their glasses and takes them to the kitchen. When she walks out of the kitchen, Callie is waiting by the stairs.

"After you..." Callie says and points to the stairs.

When they reach the top of the stairs, Arizona starts to reach for her door handle, but stops, and turns around to look at Callie.

"Thank you. For today... for tonight... For the first time in a long time, I really enjoyed myself."

Callie seems contemplative before she gives s slight nod of her head and says, "I know. Me too." She realizes that is awful because she is engaged. For the first time since she has been home, she wonders if she is doing the right thing.

Arizona looks at Callie for another second and before she can help herself, she takes a step forward and puts both arms around Callie and hugs her. Callie doesn't resist because she returns the hug, pulling Arizona in a little closer. The hug doesn't last long though before Arizona quickly turns her head and disappears into her room, leaving Callie to wonder what she has gotten herself into.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Sometimes you can be woken up by silent eyes watching you. No noise, no touch, just eyes. Callie doesn't know how that works exactly, but she knows she is being watched. As she opens her eyes, she finds two blue eyes belonging to one Zac Robbins.

"Good morning," Callie says as she rubs her eyes.

"Good morning to you too," Zac says animatedly.

"Whatcha doing?" Callie asks.

"Mommy said to wake you up and tell you to come have breakfast?"

"Your mommy cooked?"

"Yep. She fixed some French toast."

"Really?" She never thought Arizona would be able to fix toast, let alone French toast. She could never get the setting right on the toaster. The toast either came out burnt or she had to put it in for 2 cycles because she didn't have the setting turned up far enough. She never thought toast could be so complicated.

"Does mommy make good French toast?"

"Yep. Nanna Robbins showed her how to do it."

"Then it must be good. She used to make delicious French toast."

"Come on, Callie. Follow me!"

Callie gets up and follows Zac downstairs. She is a little blown away by what is waiting for her in the kitchen.

"Oh my, you really cooked?"

"Yes Calliope. Very funny. I know you might find it hard to believe, but I can actually cook now. I knew Zac couldn't survive on formula and baby food forever, so I actually took cooking classes with Teddy. And then my mom jumped in after she figured out I was serious about learning. She thought it was a phase and didn't want to waste her time before that." Arizona laughs as Callie joins in.

"That sounds about like your mom. This looks delicious," she says as she takes in what Arizona has fixed. French toast, bacon, eggs, hash browns, and what looks like fresh squeezed orange juice.

"We'll see what you say after you try it," Arizona continues to laugh. "Well, have a seat and dig in," she says as she picks Zac up and gets him settled in his seat.

They all fix plates and Callie moans. Arizona's eyes widen. "Arizona, this is the best French toast ever. MMMmm."

Arizona can't help but remember all the times she has heard that sound. Talk about music to her ears.

"You know, I think this is even better than your moms." Callie says as she looks up and sees the look Arizona is giving her. "What?" She asks as she watches Arizona snap back to.

"Um, uh, nothing. Just surprised you like it. You always hated my cooking."

Callie laughs, "Oh, I wouldn't say I hated it."

"Calliope, you would always happen to 'not feel good' before I even cooked so you would have an excuse not to eat my cooking."

"Oh, you caught on to that?" Callie asks as she smiles.

"How could I not?" Arizona laughs. "But that's ok. I was a big girl and could handle it. I knew it sucked too."

"Well, I'm sorry. You tried and that was the important part. It was wrong of me to fake not feeling well."

"See, I don't think you are that sorry," laughs Arizona.

"Maybe not," Callie smiles.

"Guess what?" Zac asks Callie.

"What?" She asks excitedly.

"Tomorrow is my birthday and I'm having a party!"

"I might have heard something about that. Are you excited?"

"I cant wait! Are you coming?"

"Um, yeah. Your mommy said I could. Is that ok?" She wasn't about to say Arizona was insistent on it.

"Yeah! You can watch me open presents!" He was one excited little boy.

"I can't wait to watch."

"Granny and gramps will be back late tonight so they will be here for your party," Arizona added.

"Oh, Tim mentioned they were on vacation. Where did they go?"

"Would you believe me if I told you they went to the beach?"

"What? The Colonel... at the beach... in swimming trunks?"

"Yeah, funny isn't it. When we would go as teenagers, remember how he would growl and complain and not come down from the room?"

"How could I forget," says Callie. "Your mom would swear every time they took us that she would never take him back there. But, the very next year, we were right back there."

"I know. Boy did she complain... "

"How did she get him to go back without you and Tim? He said if you didn't love it so much, he wouldn't have went to begin with."

"Well, mom had a small heart attack about two years ago. She has been fine since but he pampers her now. So, this trip was actually his idea. And he even promised he would put those swim trunks on and go to the beach with her. So, for the first time ever, she has a picture now of them both on the beach. It will be one to make copies of just because of how funny he always was about it."

Zac is listening to them talk. "I wanna go to the beach! I wanna see sharks and get sea shells and swim and play in the sand..."

"Whoah there buddy! Take a breath!" Arizona and Callie laugh as they listen to him talk. "Zac, I told you, I want you to be a little bit older first, then we will go."

"When I'm 3?"

"That's only tomorrow. How about we wait until you are about 5 or so. We need to get you some swimming lessons first."

"But that's a long time away..." Zac pouts.

"Well, it will go by quicker than you know it," Arizona says.

Callie listens as they talk when an idea hits her. "Hey, Arizona, can I talk to you for a sec," and points to the other room, "in there?"

Not knowing what Callie has on her mind, she nods and stands. "Zac, finish eating. We'll be right back."

They walk into the other room and Arizona asks, "So, what's on your mind?"

"Well, I heard an advertisement about an indoor water park on the radio on my way here. They said it just opened. It's only an hour from here, and with as early as it is, we could go and spend the afternoon and still be back here for dinner at my parent's. I mean, it's not the beach, but maybe it would be maybe like a birthday present. From me. His birthday is tomorrow and well, I obviously don't have anything for him, and well, I think he would love it! And we can work on maybe at least teaching him to float a little..."

Arizona cuts off her ramble. "Calliope, I think that's a great idea! He will love an early birthday present."

"Really?"

"Really. So, to make sure we get there and back in time, lets hurry and finish breakfast and then hit the road," Arizona says as she pulls Callie by the arm back into the kitchen. Callie smiles a huge smile, with relief that Arizona agreed. She can't wait to see how much Zac enjoys it.

Arizona is over the moon happy at this sudden change in plans. Not only is Callie not acting weird this morning over the hug she gave her last night, but she is almost excited about spending the day with her and Zac.

They sit back down at the table and Arizona says, "Zac, Callie has a birthday surprise for you, and"

"A surprise? For me?" Zac yells excitedly.

"Yeah," Arizona says. "So, we need to finish up and go get you ready. She is taking us on a trip!"

"Awesome! Where are we going?" He looks to Callie for an answer.

"Well, it's a surprise. But... I think you are going to love it!"

"I'm full. Let's go, let's go!"

Both women laugh as they finish up and head upstairs to get ready. It dawns on Callie that she doesn't have anything to wear. "Hey, I'm going to have to make a quick stop. I wasn't thinking about not having anything to wear."

"Give me a sec." She pulls out her phone and looks up the water park. "It says here they have a full-service shop with 'all your swimwear needs', so I think we can find you something there. And," deciding to turn up the flirt a little bit, "you don't need much. Just something... tiny."

Callie can't help but grin and shakes her head. "I guess shopping there will work. I'm sure they have something for us old ladies."

"Speak for yourself Calliope. I just bought a new suit last summer and never got the chance to wear it. And," as she gives a sultry smirk, "there is nothing 'old lady' about it." With that, Arizona heads to get ready for their day.

Callie's stomach twists into a knot as she knows that Arizona is talking about a new bikini. "Oh, why did I mention this... I really should have known better." She heads into the guest room and shuts the door. "What in the hell am I doing?" Suddenly it hits her she never turned her phone back on last night after she charged it.

She grabs her phone and turns it on. There are two missed calls and several text messages from Cam. She looks at the time and sees Cam has a few minutes until they go on air, so she decides to call.

As she dials, she dreads the call.

"Hey stranger! I was beginning to wonder about you! I love you and have missed you terribly..."

"I know. I'm... sorry." Callie doesn't quite know what to say. She knows she should say something, but over the phone isn't the way to do it.

"Hey, are you ok? You sound a little... off?"

"Um yeah, I'm fine. Just a lot going on. Being gone for so long, a lot has changed."

"Have you told your parents yet?"

"Uh, not yet." Callie knows that answer isn't going to keep cutting it.

"Callie, you have been there a couple days already and should have already been on your way back home. Why haven't you told them?"

"There is just a lot going on. They have both been working and I just haven't had a chance yet."

Silence fills the air for a minute. "Look, I get it. You haven't been there in a while and feel guilty about that. You probably hate to just spring it on them, but, Callie, you need to tell them. It feels like you are getting cold feet already..."

"Cam,"

"Look, you have barely texted or called since you have been there. I know when something is up with you."

Callie did some major soul searching last night after going to her room. That small hug from Arizona did things to her that she hasn't felt in a long time. The thing is, nothing has changed since she has been here. She still feels like losing the babies was her fault. She still feels like Arizona deserves better. But then she watches how Arizona is with her, and she feels so conflicted.

But she did decide that if another woman still has this kind of hold on her, that she shouldn't be with Cameron. To be honest, she has always known that. But, she went along with it because she did like Cameron. However, she realized last night what she has always known... that she doesn't love her. She tried to convince herself she did so it would be easier to move on, but she doesn't. She really thought she could at some point, but with Arizona's arms around her last night, she knew it wasn't love she had for Cameron. She did care for her, but it wasn't love. She knows that now. Callie might not think she deserves Arizona, but Cam isn't the one for her.

"Look, Cam, I think we need to sit down and talk about some things when I get back."

"Callie, if you are doing what I think you are doing, then just..." Cameron was cut off by someone yelling. "Look, I have to go. We go to air in 2. Just... just know that I love you."

"I know."

"And I hope you tell your parents we are getting married and..." Once again interrupted, she says, "I have to go. I love you."

And with that the call is over. Callie exhales a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Ok, I told her we needed to talk so hopefully she will be prepared when I get back there."

A knock on the door startles her. "Callie, you ok?"

"Uh, yeah. Be out in just a second." She hurries and pulls her hair up, brushes her teeth, foregoes make up since they will be getting in the pool anyway, and changes into a comfortable outfit for the ride there.

As she comes down the stairs, Zac runs and grabs onto her legs. "What's my surprise? Mommy won't tell me."

"Well little man, you aren't going to be surprised if we tell you."

"Yes, I will."

"Nice try, but no you won't. But you will love it. You just have to wait a little bit." She picks him up and tickles him and that is when Arizona comes down the stairs. Her heart beats like it has never beat before seeing them interact like they are. She loves seeing her son happy and knowing it is her wife making him laugh right now, just makes her heart beat faster.

"Well, I think I have everything we are going to need for his surprise all ready." She holds up a big bag and heads to the door.

"What's in the bag Mommy?"

"Well, that is for us to know and you to find out. Are we ready.?"

"Yes!" Zac yells and with Callie still holding him, she carries him out to the car. "Let's get you buckled in big guy," says Callie as she opens the door and buckles him up.

As she closes her door, Arizona had just finished putting their bag in the back of the car but disappears back into the house. When she comes back out, she is carrying a small camera. "Sorry, forgot my camera. I don't want to miss it if he starts floating!"

"No problem... I'm ready if you are." Callie smiles watching Arizona bounce out.

"Oh, I'm so ready," Arizona says with a mischievous smile.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Are we there yet?"

"No Zac, we still have about a half hour."

"Where are we going?"

"We told you. It's a surprise, but you will like it."

Only a half hour into the ride, and that conversation has happened 3 times. If nothing else, he is persistent.

"Look at your books sweetie. We will be there before you know it."

"If I have to," Zac mumbles.

Callie looks back to see Zac pick up a book and smiles. "You know, you were always impatient on trips too."

"No I wasn't."

"Yeah, you were."

"Was not."

Callie just shakes her head and laughs. "Why do you think I started putting together those little travel bags for you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on Arizona… I started buying you a new book or two, crossword searches, your favorite candy and gave it to you before each trip…"

"But what does that have to do with being impatient?"

"Really? It was to keep you busy so you wouldn't keep asking if we were there yet!" Callie laughs.

"I thought it was because you loved me. I didn't realize it was because I was being treated like a child and basically being given a binky."

Callie just laughs. "Oh, it was both." Hearing Callie admit to loving her, even in a past tense, still made her feel good. "I definitely had to try to keep you occupied somehow."

"It was always how you occupied my time when we got somewhere that I enjoyed the most," Arizona replies quietly as she winks at Callie.

"Arizona…" Callie gasped laughing. Arizona just gave a full belly laugh. "If I remember right, you enjoyed it as much as I did. We would hardly leave the room wherever we went."

Arizona watched as Callie's face turned about ten different shades of red.

"I guess I can't deny that." Callie said needing to turn her head. Wanting to change the subject, since Arizona is still laughing, she asks, "So, Tim wanted you to ask Teddy about coming tonight. Did you text her?"

"Yeah. She is coming. Turns out her and Henry broke up. He was a minor league baseball player and just got signed to a contract. He was going to be gone a lot and she didn't want to just wait around. He had been kind of wishy washy about things anyway and where things were headed, so she decided to just end it. Tim has had a thing for her for a while."

"I'm surprised someone hasn't snatched him up. He couldn't keep the ladies off of him through college."

"Well, that was part of his problem for a while. He didn't want to give that up. He has decided he is ready to settle down though He doesn't give himself time to go out and meet people. He keeps himself busy. To be honest, I love that he spends so much time with Zac and I, but I feel like he needs to go out more. I don't want to be the reason he isn't dating."

"Well, if I know anything about Tim at all, it's that he doesn't do anything he doesn't want to. So, when he is ready, he will get out there. You never know, maybe Teddy is the one."

"Maybe. I just don't know if he is her type."

"Sometimes opposites attract."

"True... Oh, look, there is our exit. We are almost there Zac!"

Zac begins to get excited. He put his books down and starts watching, trying to get a clue as to where they were going. A few minutes later, they are pulling up outside the water park. As soon as Zac sees people walking in, carrying floaties, he yells, "Are we going swimming?"

Arizona looks at Callie and nods, telling her to go ahead and tell him.

"Even better than that, we are going to an indoor water park. They have water slides and a wave pool!"

"That is so awesome!" Zac says excitedly. "Best birthday surprise ever!"

Callie just beams as Arizona looks on. As they park and get Zac unbuckled and things out of the back of the car, Zac asks Callie to hold his hand. She smiles as she takes his hand and is then pulled as fast as his little legs can carry them, to the building.

They get inside and Arizona pulls out her wallet.

"What are you doing?" Callie asks. "I told you I wanted to do it."

"Callie, I don't want to make you feel like you have to get him something."

"I don't feel like I have to. I really want to." Callie meant that in more ways than one. She might have started this to get the papers signed. Now, she is enjoying this more than she should be right now.

"Ok."

After the tickets are bought, they head to the gift shop to find Callie something to wear. As Callie is looking through modest bathing suits, Arizona has other ideas.

Callie has been holding Zac's hand, leaving Arizona to meander about. Arizona walks up to Callie handing her a bag. "Here. I'll trade you, she says handing Callie the bag and reaching for Zac's hand. I bought you something."

"Why? What's this?" Callie asks confused.

"That, my dear, is for you to go try on. Don't worry, I got you red." With that, she winks and says, "I'm going to go get him changed and ready. We will meet you out front and then go find some chairs."

She leaves before Callie has a chance to say anything. As she peaks in the bag, she lets out a laugh. Arizona had bought not one, but two different bikinis. "Well, she isn't one to just hint around," Callie laughs to herself.

She decides to give them a try and heads to change. She decides that she does like them both. She decides that she wants to grab a bathing suit cover-up though. She has some scars left from the accident. She isn't ashamed of them, but one of them is pretty large and people do tend to stare.

After making her purchase, she heads to the locker room to get changed. She didn't see them when she walked in, but she can hear Arizona and Zac talking through the stalls.

"Hurry up Mommy! Let's go!"

"Just a second Zac. Once we are ready, we need to wait on Callie."

"Yeah, but hurry mommy."

"Ok, now, turn around and look that way, and mommy will change."

"Ok." She can hear Zac say.

"So, remember the rules. No running and stay right with me and Callie. If you don't know someone, don't go anywhere with them. You yell for me or Callie. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Ok, there… mommy's ready. Let me get this gathered up and we are good to go."

Callie finishes getting dressed and decides to wait for Arizona and Zac. When Arizona opens the door and sees Callie waiting, she is greeted by a wide smile.

"Hey guys, I heard you so I thought I would wait. Here, let me take some of that..." Callie says as she takes a bag and from Arizona.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Sorry, I should have offered to help with getting him changed. I'm not used to… well, you know…"

"No problem. I'm used to doing everything myself. We have it down, don't we Zac?"

As soon as she said it, Callie's face fell. "Callie…"

"Hey, it's ok. I get it."

"No, you don't. I didn't mean it like that. It's just, even if I wasn't a single mom, you get used to the multi-tasking. I shouldn't have worded it like that."

"Really, it's ok." Changing the subject, "Zac, you ready kiddo?"

"Yeah!"

"Then let's go." She reached down and took his hand and they walked out to find a seat with Arizona following. They managed to find three lounge chairs. They set their stuff down and Arizona pulled out a couple towels and laid over each chair.

Callie isn't sure why hearing Arizona talk about how she is used to doing things alone bothers her. Actually, she does know… she feels... guilty. And that's nobody's fault but her own. Arizona shouldn't have had to do any of this alone. It was always supposed to be the two of them. And then she left. She left the most perfect person in the world, because she thought she deserved better.

"Callie," Zac says getting her attention, "let's go swimming!"

Arizona says, "Hey, what about me?" pretending to pout.

"Come on mommy!" Zac hold his hand out and grabs her hand too. Anyone looking at them by now would think they were a happy family.

Deciding to walk around and see what all is there, they decide on the wave pool first. They head back to the chairs to take off their cover-ups and grab a life jacket for Zac on the way.

Arizona sits the life jacket down and reaches for her cover-up. Callie reaches for the life jacket to put it on Zac. She has made a mental note to do better about helping.

"Come here buddy," she says motioning for Zac to get it on. As soon as she fastens it and gets everything tightened, she says, "Arizona, you might want to check that to make sure that I did it right, I... I holy…," she turns around to see Arizona standing in a royal blue two-piece and instantly forgets what she was about to say. She does have enough sense to not finish her thought with the little blonde there.

"Yes?" Arizona can't help but smirk at the look the brunette has on her face.

Callie can't believe how amazing the blonde looks. It's been years since she has taken in the sight of Arizona's body, but it hasn't changed one bit. If nothing else, she looks even better than she did before. She would never guess that was the body of someone who has had a child. She herself never looked the same after.

"Callie?"

"What? OH! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to look. I mean, I did. I just didn't mean to stare. I'm sorry," Callie says shaking her head at herself.

Arizona leans over next to Callie's ear, and whispers, "Don't be sorry. That reaction… is exactly… what I was hoping for." With that, she leans back and smiles and takes Zac's hand. "Take that thing off and let's go Calliope," she says smiling.

Callie sighs and begins to pull off her cover as Arizona and Zac walk away. She hurries to catch up to them. When she does, they are walking into the water.

She takes a second to watch them walk into the water, watching how Zac throws his head back and laughs, just like his mom.

Arizona turns and sees her watching them. Her eyes grow wide as she takes in the sight. Arizona doesn't remember a time when Callie looked prettier. "Are you coming with us?"

"Yeah. Right behind you." She heads into the water and as she reaches them Zac turns towards her and reaches for her.

Once again, Arizona gets right next to Callie's ear, and says, "I chose perfectly. And I have to say, the word 'delicious' comes to mind." She winks and tickles Zac as she swims away.

She probably shouldn't be so flirtatious with Callie, as skittish as she has been. But, she only has so much time. Her goal is to act the exact same way she would have before everything happened. And what she just said to her is exactly what she would have said six years ago. She is running out of time and she needs to start making every second count.

Callie watches her swim away and she is starting to lose count as to how many times Arizona has made her blush today. Arizona was always more of a flirt than she was. She thinks Arizona would have turned into a real player if they hadn't fallen in love when they did. Arizona was always a flirt with her. She always found it to be an attractive quality though.

After playing in the wave pool, Zac wants to go to the pirate cove play area. Arizona runs to grab the camera and heads back to meet them. As she comes back, she stops where they can't see her, and snaps some pics. They are up on the pirate ship spraying people below them.

Zac is having the time of his life. Callie has stooped down to where she is eye level with Zac. She points out an unsuspecting victim below them. Zac nods and waits and then she gives him a thumbs up as he sprays them. The two are laughing so hard and Arizona takes the opportunity to snap one last picture before she walks around to join them.

They see her and motion for her to join them. "Mommy! Watch this! I'm spraying them with the water cannon, just like a pirate!"

"I see that! Are you having fun?"

"Yeah. This is so awesome! Can we come back?"

"Whoa down there bud. Let's finish this trip before we plan the next one," Arizona laughs.

Callie sees the camera. "Hey, let's go down and take some pics in front of the ship, and then, maybe we can stand under that big bucket until it dumps all the water out on us?"

"Sounds like a plan."

They all head down and Callie offers to take pics of Arizona and Zac. Someone is walking by and sees them and asks, "Excuse me ma'am, would you like me to take one of all three of you?"

She doesn't know what to say but luckily Arizona heard, and she jumps on the chance. "Yes. Please… if you don't mind?"

Callie hands the stranger the camera as she walks over to the Arizona and Zac. She ponders where to stand and makes a choice to stand beside Arizona. Callie puts her arm around her and Arizona leans into her. Arizona pulls Zac to stand in front of them and they smile for the camera.

After Callie takes the camera back and thanks the lady, she turns to head toward Arizona and Zac. Arizona waits until she is closer and takes a look at the camera to see how their picture turned out. She decides right then an there that is her favorite ever.

They decide to hold off on the big bucket and walk over to the toddler splash area. They find a seat as Zac plays in the sprinklers.

They sit and watch him for a few minutes before Callie offers to go grab them some food and meet back at the lounge chairs. Arizona agrees that is a good idea and let's Zac play a while until their food is ready.

When they arrive back at the chairs, Callie is already there with a selection of chicken strips, burgers, fries, and a piece of pizza for Zac.

"I'm starving!" Zac says as he reaches for the small Sprite that Callie is handing him. Both ladies laugh as they eat and get ready to head back to the pool.

As Callie picks up the trash, Arizona says she is going to go take Zac to the restroom and will meet her by the small pool with the basketball nets.

As they are walking back to the pool, Zac sees Callie already in the water and tries to start running.

"Zac," Arizona says as she tightens the grip on his hand, remember what mommy said, no running."

As they reach the pool, Callie holds her arms open. She wants to help Zac in the pool so he doesn't try to go down the metal steps. He sees her arms up just as Arizona let's go of his hand, and Zac takes off and starts to run.

"NO!" They both yell at the same time, but it is too late. Zac slips and falls

"Mommy….." he cries. Callie is up out of the pool and Arizona is right by his side. They quickly assess and don't think anything is broken but he does have a cut on his leg. A lifeguard is immediately there and says they need to take him to the on-site first aid center to have him evaluated.

"It's just a scrape. He will be fine," Arizona insists as she picks Zac up and calms his crying. "Shh, it's ok little man. You'll be just fine, won't ya?"

Callie watches as Arizona calms him down. She is a natural at the whole being a mom thing. Then it hits Callie that it is her fault he was trying to run to get to the pool anyway.

Callie reaches out to run her hand over his back when he reaches for her. She is the reason he hurt himself and now he wants her to hold him?

"Hey buddy, you should let your mom hold you. She will make it all better." Zac lays his head back down on Arizona's shoulder as she gives Callie a questioning glance. She doesn't have time to ask any questions because the lifeguard speaks up.

"Ma'am, I know it is only a scrape, and I know this is going to sound silly, but since he has exposed bleeding, I need to get you to the first aid center. We will need to get a report just in case he would happen to figure out later that something is sprained or what not. We need to have it on record. We also have to get this blood wiped off his leg and apply at least a band aid."

Arizona scoffs. "It is just a cut. I'm sure kids fall all the time around here and don't go to the first aid center."

"While that may be true ma'am, if a lifeguard is witness to any incident, we have to file a report, so if you come with me, it will only take a minute and we will have you right back in the water."

Arizona was not thrilled with the policy, but doesn't have a choice if Zac wants to get back in the water. So she reluctantly says, "Fine. Let's get this over with."

As she turns to follow the lifeguard, she notices Callie standing still. She looks back at her and motions for her to follow along. Callie does, but stays a step behind. Arizona is pretty sure she knows what is going on, but doesn't say anything just yet. She isn't going to let this ruin their day though.

As they walk into the first aid center, he leads them back to a small room. He has Arizona put him on the small table.

"Ok big guy, let us get this taken care of and get you back out there, what do you say?" Zac isn't even crying now and nods his head.

"There, all set," says the lifeguard as he puts the band aid on Zac. "Now, let's get mom here to give me some info and you can hit the pool. Whaddya say?"

"Yep. I'm ready to swim again!" Callie watches as the lifeguard sets him down and reaches for the clip board. Zac walks to Callie and holds his arms up. Callie looks at Arizona first and then back to Zac and picks him up.

"Ok, I need his full name and date of birth," he asks Arizona.

Arizona hadn't thought about this until just now, otherwise she would have tried harder to get out of it. It wasn't necessary in her opinion to begin with.

As she looks at Zac and Callie, she turns back to the lifeguard. "Isaac Robbins-Torres. May 8, 2015."

She didn't even have to look at Callie to know she was being watched. The gasp she heard let her know that Callie indeed had heard what she just told the man.

She finished giving him the info he needed and he thanked her for her cooperation. She turned around to see Callie watching her. This wasn't how she wanted to tell Callie his full name.

"Are we ready to head back out?"

"Yeah, after you," Callie said quietly.

When they exit the first aid center, Arizona stops and grabs Callie's arm and looks at her.

"Callie, I know his name probably caught you off guard, but… I, I just felt like any kid I had, I wanted to keep with what we started with the babies. I wanted his name to start with an I too. When he was a baby, I started calling him Zac, just as a nickname, but it stuck. And as far as his last name, well that's my last name too. So..."

"Arizona… I'm not mad about his name. Not any part of it. And you never have to explain to me what choices you have made concerning your son. The only thing I'm surprised about is that you are actually still using my last name. I figured you would have dropped that by now. But, can we talk about this later though when he isn't listening?"

"Um, yeah. Of course." Arizona gives a small smile and says, "Now, how about we head to the big bucket and get water dumped all over us?"

"Let's go Callie! I want to get soaked!"

With a laugh, they all head off to the bucket. Another hour goes by with a trip around the lazy river, followed by more pictures.

They change back into their clothes and head for the door. As Callie is buckling him in, he gives her a hug.

"Thank you Callie," he says.

"You are more than welcome," she says ruffling his hair.

Five minutes into the trip home and they hear soft snores coming from the back seat. "Look at that. He is worn out. I don't know that I have ever seen him have that much fun before. Thank you."

"It was my pleasure. Really." Callie smiles as she seems a little contemplative.

"Arizona… about his fall… I'm sorry I had my arms stretched out for him. I didn't think he would start running. I just didn't want him to try to take the steps. I was going to lift him into the pool."

"Calliope, there is nothing to apologize for. He is a kid, who sometimes doesn't follow the rules. I had already told him no running. He knew not to."

"I know, but I had my arms out and he was rushing to me."

"I knew you were going to blame yourself," Arizona says while shaking her head. "It was an accident. That is it. It was just a scratch Callie and he didn't follow directions. That is what kids do. They don't listen and they hurt themselves. Sometimes it's just a scratch, sometimes it is a broken bone."

She reaches over and tilts Callie's head up to where their eyes meet. "Calliope, you need to let it go. Accidents, big or small, sometimes happen. You need to let it go. All of it. It's past time."

With that, Arizona gives her hand one last squeeze and says, "Let's go. We have a dinner to go get ready for with your parents. And then Calliope, you are going to pick out a beautiful song, and you are going to sing when we get to April's. I've missed hearing you sing."

The car ride home is filled with small talk. Both women content to let the bigger topics wait until later. The last thing either wants is to have Zac overhear something he shouldn't.

Callie wants to believe, so much, that she deserves this. That she deserves Arizona. That, after spending time with Zac, that she deserves to be in his life. After believing for years that she didn't deserve that happy ending though, it isn't an easy switch to flip.

To hear Arizona is still using her last name means more to her than she thought it would. On top of that, she never even thought for a second that Zac would share her name. She hadn't even considered that to be a possibility.

She knows as sure as she is sitting here though, she needs to get herself figured out. Arizona deserves the world. She needs to be able to look forward and not backward. She needs to make sure she is ready to move on. In her heart she knows that Arizona is right. That it's time to let it go. She just needs to work on making that happen. She knows with only 1 day left, that she can't stand the thought of possibly walking away now.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

After the women made it back home, they had just enough time to get showered and ready for dinner.

"Hey, why don't I take Zac and give him a bath and get him ready while you get a shower?"

"Thank you, Calliope. That would be wonderful. I'll go ahead and lay his clothes out on the bed to make it easier for when you are done."

"Sounds good. Come on Zac, let's go wash those stinky feet of yours!"

"Callie, they are not stinky! I was in the water all day, remember?"

"I do remember. But, they are still stinky. Come on. Maybe we can use those bubbles again, sound good?"

That was all it took and he is off to the bathroom. Callie gives him a bath and they play in the bubbles. He loves getting a bubble beard.

Afterwards, they head to his room and put on the outfit that was waiting for them. Callie is finding out she loves how Arizona dresses him. He usually has on denim or khakis, and then some type of button up or polo shirt She saw some little Nike's in his closet, but he has always worn his little blue Chuck's.

They head down stairs to wait for Arizona and decide to watch some TV. As usual, he cuddles right in. She could really get used to this, she thinks.

A few minutes later, Arizona walks in. She has on tight black jeans, a loose flowing top that shows just the right amount of cleavage, and her hair done in loose curls.

"Ok, I'm all ready. It's your turn," she says as she comes walking into the living room.

"Great. Here Zac, how about your mommy and I trade places."

"I don't want you to go."

Callie's heart does a flip flop.

"Me either." Arizona whispers, but Callie still hears her. Zac may be talking about the shower, but Arizona is talking about so much more. Callie glances at Arizona and gives her a small smile.

"You sit with mommy and I promise to hurry. I can't be the only one with stinky toes can I?"

Zac smiles and scoots over so Callie can get up. "I guess not," Zac giggles.

As Callie stands and passes Arizona, she reaches out and grabs her hand. "You look pretty." She let's go of her hand as quick as she grabbed it to begin with, and heads upstairs. Arizona's insides get all twisty. She can't wait for their evening. It may not be an official date, but it is the closest thing to one that she is going to get. She made sure to put on Callie's favorite perfume too.

When Callie goes upstairs, she decides to take another look in Arizona's closet. She didn't bring much in the way of casual dressy with her and wants to see what else she can find. She had totally forgot about some of these shirts, but finds just the right one.

She takes a shower and goes to get dressed. She didn't take her phone with her today, on purpose, and figures she ought to check it.

Three missed calls and numerous texts from Cameron, a few from Addie, and one from her dad.

Addie says she is emailing her the Bobbie Daniel piece to start looking over. Her dad says they are looking forward to dinner and can't wait to see her again. And Cameron sent a few with "call me."

"That's not happening tonight," she mumbles. She texts Addie back and tells her she will start reading it as soon as she gets a chance. She texts her dad that they are about ready to head over there. She then sends Cameron a text telling her she is sorry, but can't talk right now. "There. Not ignoring her, but not going to argue about this over the phone. It needs done in person."

Callie feels bad. Cameron has always been very attentive and sweet. Very patient… more than anyone knows, actually. Even after spending a few years together, Callie had never been able to take things to the next level with her, intimately. Cameron didn't know why, but she knew she couldn't push Callie, and thankfully she didn't. Looking back now, it makes sense. Callie couldn't give that to her because she didn't love her.

She hears some voices downstairs and she realizes she needs to hurry. She fixes her hair and puts just the right amount of make-up on, takes a last look in the mirror and is happy with what she sees.

As she arrives down stairs, she sees Tim sitting with Zac. She looks for Arizona and doesn't see her so she goes to the living room and sits on the couch. "Hey Tim, how are you?"

"Hey Callie. I'm good. I thought I would bring your car back to you and then ride back into town with you guys. You can just drop me off on your way to your parents house."

"You are welcome to come too, I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

"That's ok. I think you have some overdue family time coming," he says with a laugh.

Tim watches as Zac begins to scoot towards Callie. "Hey bud, just where do you think you are going?"

Zac looks at him and smiles. "I'm gonna sit with Callie," he says sheepishly.

"Man, I'm being replaced already, huh?"

Zac looks at him at him and says, "I'll sit with you later."

Tim laughs and says, "She's prettier than I am. I would sit with her too, but your mom would shoot me."

Callie just gives him an eye roll and laughs as she pulls Zac closer to her.

"So, Arizona ran outside to take a call. She said it had something to do with work."

"Oh, ok."

Tim watches her for a minute. "Before she comes back, I just want to say something. You know, she has that spark back in her eyes. It left when you did. And Zac, he helped bring some of it back. But it still wasn't the same. She loves this kid, but, you are the love of her life." Callie listens as Tim talks, taking every word to heart.

"I know I was kind of sneaky in getting you here," Tim winces as he looks at Callie.

"You think?" Callie laughs.

"Maybe. But I know you are both too stubborn for your own good. I just knew you needed a little push to talk. I admit, I wasn't expecting the talk to turn into this little arrangement that you two have going on. To be perfectly honest, I think it's dangerous and I'm afraid someone is going to get hurt. The only thing I ask is that before you have her sign those papers, you better be sure that's what you want. She knows you were grieving before, but you don't have an excuse this time, and if you tell her to sign them, she will."

"I know," Callie says looking down and holding Zac's hand in her own. "believe me, I know."

"And look, I know you may have been caught off guard by this guy, but it isn't just the two of you anymore. So, you both need to remember that... And, now I'll stop with the lecture because I'm sure when mom and dad get back tonight and you see them tomorrow, you will have more lecture coming." With that, Tim gets up and heads to the kitchen.

"You want anything to drink? I'm going to grab something."

"No. Thank you though, I'm good." Callie hadn't even considered how the Colonel may react to her being here.

She doesn't have too much time to think about what Tim said when Arizona comes back into the living room.

"Hey there..."

"Hey."

"Sorry about that. It was only Teddy but it was work related so I went outside to take it." As she looks at the two of them, which she can't seem to get enough of, she says, "You know, I think Tim is going to get a complex. He isn't used to playing second fiddle," she says laughing.

"Oh, I'm not... I'm wasn't trying to, you know I didn't mean..."

Arizona interrupts her. "Calliope, I'm kidding. But seriously, he usually doesn't leave Tim alone. He really likes you. I have to say... the kid has good taste."

"Hey, you're back. You two ready to roll? Aren't you supposed to be there in like, 5 minutes?"

"Oh shoot. Yeah. Let me grab Zac's bag and we can go."

After dropping Tim off at his house, they had to Callie's parents'. Arizona gets Zac out of the car and he immediately goes to grab Callie's hand. It seems to be turning into a habit at this point. Callie leads them to the house and opens the door, not surprised to find her mom and dad waiting on the other side.

"Hey guys! We've been waiting for you. Come on in," says Lucy.

"Hey mom, hey dad," Callie says as she gives them a hug. Zac is right behind her giving hugs and kisses.

"Hey Zac, how's our big guy tonight?"

"Great! Guess what we did today!"

"What did you do?" Carlos asked him, looking at the ladies standing right behind him.

"Callie took us to the water park! It was so awesome! I got to shoot the water cannon on the pirate ship, and we went in the wave pool, and we got a bunch of water dumped on us from a big bucket!"

"Oh, my goodness, what a busy day. It sounds like you guys had a fantastic day," he says curiously watching them. "And mommy and Callie both went?"

"Yeah! It was my birthday present from Callie!"

"Well, isn't that something. All three of you are spending a lot of time together," he says watching Callie and Arizona for their reaction.

"Um, yeah, just a little… So, what's for dinner? We are starving after the big day we have had." Callie can see where he is going with this and needs to steer it in a different direction.

"Well, your mom made some of your favorites. Some empanadas and Spanish rice. And, we also happen to know that is one of Zac's favorites too, huh Zac?"

"Yeah. But pizza is my first favorite." Everyone gets a chuckle from that.

"So, let's all go have a seat. It's all ready."

As they head into the kitchen to sit down, Callie picks up Zac and puts him in the booster seat they have already set up. Carlos and Lucy watch, but don't say anything. They also don't say anything when Zac asks Callie to sit by him. They give Arizona a few knowing looks but leave it at that.

While they are eating, Carlos asks, "So, Arizona, Barb and the Colonel will be back this evening?"

"Um, yeah. They said it will probably be late, but they wanted to make sure they are back in time for his party tomorrow."

"I see. Well, we can't wait... I know someone will be ready to open some presents."

"Yeah, I can't wait. I hope I get tons of presents!" Zac shares. "And trains. I want more trains."

"Hey, we just bought some new ones yesterday," Callie says.

Lucy and Tim spoke yesterday after Callie and Arizona dropped Tim's car off, and then again, this morning. He made sure she was in the loop. She knew that things had taken a turn that they weren't expecting. She can see that things are going better than she hoped. Now, her only wish is that her daughter would realize she needs to stay. Her daughter can be a whirlwind of emotions sometimes, so she thinks it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

"I know Callie, but I always want more!" They all laugh at his antics as he relishes in the attention.

Arizona looks at her son, "Honey, you know it's about spending time with your friends and family… Even if you don't get any presents, it's important to just spend time together."

"I know mommy but presents are nice too." Everyone chuckled. Kids will be kids.

"Mom, Arizona and I were wondering if Zac would maybe be able to spend the night. April invited us for karaoke night, but we can't take him with us."

Lucy already knew of these plans and had already planned on watching him. "Well, Arizona knows we never turn down the chance to spend time with him. Of course, he can stay."

"Thanks mom," Callie says as she looks from her mom to Arizona. "We appreciate it."

Everyone at the table glances at the other with knowing looks. Callie isn't fooling anyone. She took it upon herself to ask about them watching Zac. She didn't wait around for Arizona to do it. She took the initiative. And the, 'we appreciate it' didn't go unnoticed by anyone. Lucy and Carlos both gave Arizona another knowing look.

After dinner, they both said goodbye to Zac, Lucy, and Carlos. They watched as Zac gave both women hugs. "We will see you two tomorrow. We will make sure he gets to bed early since he had a busy day today and will have another tomorrow," Lucy says.

"Thanks, Lucy, we will see you around 10 in the morning. We are supposed to be at Aprils around 10:15 to decorate. The party starts at noon so we make to make sure it's all ready to go."

"Sounds good. You girls have fun tonight."

"We will," says Callie, as she opens the doors and leads Arizona out to the car.

After arriving at April's, Callie holds the door open for Arizona to go in first. Teddy and Tim are already at the bar sharing a beer. Mark, one of Tim's friends, is sitting beside him. When Mark spots Callie, he jumps up to meet them.

"Hey Cal, hey Arizona. You two look spectacular tonight. You two look as good as you did 10 years ago. Only hotter." Mark laughs as he takes a second to appreciate them.

"So, I see you are still quite the ladies' man. Too bad it won't get you anywhere here," Callie says as Arizona throws her head back laughing.

"I see you two are still as mean as you were 10 years ago," he protests as he fake pouts.

"You know, you should buy us a drink Mark..."

"Why would I do that? I'll save that for someone who appreciates me."

"Looks like you will be holding onto that money for a while then," Arizona says laughing.

"Hey Arizona... Callie..." Teddy says studying the two. She turns to Tim, "Hey, let's move to a table. Maybe you can even sit by me," she flirts.

"Well, you don't have to tell me twice," Tim smiles as he jumps up from the stool.

"How's this?" Arizona asks as she finds a table.

"Looks like a good one. We can see the dance floor from here too." Mark says as he looks around.

"I thought it was karaoke night? We aren't here to dance." Teddy said.

Mark pipes up, "Who said we can't do both?"

"True," Tim says. "Hey, how about I get Apes to give us a couple pitchers and some mugs... Sound good?"

After several nods in agreement, he disappears and returns with part of the order. "April is bringing the rest."

April comes and brings the rest of their stuff. "I'm so glad you guys made it! Hey, nobody likes to be the one to volunteer to go first. You think one of you can do that?"

"Arizona can," Tim smirks.

"Tim! You know I can't sing."

"I know. More fun for us though."

"You know what, bite me. I'll do it."

"Well, Callie might want to take you up on that, but no thanks," Tim spouts off, not really realizing what he just said. Arizona sure caught it though and kicks him under the table.

"What did you do that for?" Time yelps.

"You really are an idiot, Tim," Arizona says and Mark nods his head.

"Well, anyway," April says looking between Arizona and Tim, you guys figure it out and I will be back."

"So," Teddy begins, looking at Callie. "Arizona says that you are in editing?"

"Yeah, I am. I work for a friend of mine, Addie Montgomery. She started this company a few years ago and she has grown it to where she has quite an impressive group of clients now. Plenty of various types of projects to edit."

"And that's in New York?"

"Um, yeah."

"Hm. Did Arizona just tell you that she signed a contract..."

Arizona abruptly cuts her off. "I did not tell her I just signed another contract with the college. It is just another year as an adjunct. No biggie."

Teddy gives Arizona a questioning look. Teddy knows it wasn't a college contract she just signed. Arizona hadn't mentioned to Teddy not to talk about her book contract, so Arizona can tell that she is a little confused at the change of subject. She will have to get her alone later and tell her not to mention it. She just isn't ready to tell Callie just yet.

Callie looks at her and says, "Arizona, it is a big deal if it is what you want. You love what you do and as long as you are getting a chance to keep doing it, that's great."

"Um, yeah, I know. It's just not a faculty spot yet. So, you know, I didn't see the big deal about it."

Teddy lets it go for now but looks back to Callie. "You mentioned projects… so what kind of projects?"

"Well, it really depends. Addie lets me pretty well pick and choose what I work on. So, I see what's coming in and take it from there. We just signed a few people recently and there is a book project along with a new series for kids that we have coming up. There is always something."

"Any writers we may have heard of?"

"Actually," Callie starts as she looks at Arizona, remembering the Bobby Daniel books she saw on her book shelf. "One is…" She is cut off by April as she brings another pitcher.

"Ok guys, this pitcher is on the house if you two monkeys figured out who is singing first," she April says. Getting it started is the rough part, then everyone will be lining up. Nobody likes to go first though."

"Tim I think you should serenade me," Teddy says batting her eyes at him.

"Oh, really? You want me to sing. To you?"

"Of course. Why not? If it's good, there might be something in it for you later." She winks at him as he shoves Mark out of the way to get to the microphone.

"Teddy, why did you do that? You know he likes you. Quit kidding around with him." Arizona looks at her pointedly.

"Who said I was playing around? I'm single now," Teddy says with a wink.

The group watches as Tim leans over to tell Jackson what his song choice is. Seconds later, the theme music to Friends is playing and Tim is trying to belt out the words. Poor Tim will never live that down.

True to her word, when he sits back down, Teddy lays a big kiss on him. That's all it takes to have Tim Robbins wrapped around her finger for the rest of the night.

"Arizona, I think you should go next," Tim smirks as he watches her roll her eyes.

"Please…" Callie asks. Arizona knows she cant tell her no.

"Fine. But, you are next." They all laugh as Arizona makes her way to the mic. She looks over Jackson's shoulder and picks out her song.

Everyone is waiting for some silly song to come on. They are surprised when they hear something a little slower come on. As the music begins, Callie listens as Arizona sings…

 _I hope you never look back, but you never forget,_ _  
_ _All the ones who love you, in the place you live,_ _  
_ _I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,_ _  
_ _And you help somebody every chance you get,_ _  
_ _Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,_ _  
_ _And always give more than you take._ _  
_ _But more than anything, yeah, more than anything_

 _My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,_ _  
_ _Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,_ _  
_ _You never need to carry more than you can hold,_ _  
_ _And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,_ _  
_ _I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,_ _  
_ _Yeah, this, is my wish. Yeah, yeah._

Callie listens as Arizona sings. Even with her song choice, she is showing Callie that she is there, but isn't pressuring her.

Tim looks over and sees a tear fall down Callie's cheek. He can see that Arizona is breaking down all her walls.

When Arizona comes back, she slides in next to Callie. Callie reaches under the table and grabs ahold of her hand and then continues to hold it. Arizona looks at Callie and can't contain her smile, which causes Callie to smile back.

"So, Callie, you next?" Tim wants to know.

"Maybe in a little bit." As another slow song comes on, Callie leans over and whispers, "Would you like to dance?"

Arizona doesn't respond verbally, but squeezes her hand and stands, pulling Callie with her.

As they reach the dance floor, Arizona puts her arms on Callie's shoulders as Callie places her hands on Arizona's hips. While they start off with a little room between them, they soon end up pulling each other closer. The next thing Callie knows, her hands are completely wrapped around Arizona and Arizona has her head on her shoulder.

When the song ends, they pull apart and look at each other in the eyes.

"Calliope." "Arizona."

They both laugh as they continue to look at each other.

"You go first," Callie says.

"I just… can we get out of here and just spend some time together… just us?" Arizona asks, pleadingly.

"That sounds nice."

Arizona pulls Callie to the table. "Guys, we are really sorry, but Callie and I are exhausted, so we are going to head out."

"Is that what the kids are calling it these days?"

"Shut up Tim. We have had a busy day and we just want get home and rest up. We have another busy day tomorrow with the party and all.

"Yeah. Ok," Teddy laughs. "You two kids have fun."

"Teddy," Arizona scolds her. "Can you please make sure Tim and Mark get home in one piece. Mark has been too quiet tonight so that just means he is plotting something," Arizona laughs.

"No problem, will do. You two be careful."

"It was good seeing you again Teddy," Callie said as she waves to Teddy.

"You too Callie."

Arizona doesn't waste any more time. She grabs Callie's hand and pulls her out the door.

 **AN: The song excerpt used was from "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The ride home from April's is quiet, both contemplating the events from the past two days.

As they arrive home, they both agree to go change and meet back downstairs. Arizona is finished getting ready before Callie and decides to light the fire. She goes and grabs a bottle of wine and some glasses. She grabs a clean blanket from the closet, makes sure they have the TV remote for a movie later, and then she sits by the couch in front of the fire.

Callie walks down and sees what Arizona has done. She gives her a small smile as she walks over to sit next to her.

"Hey. Would you like some wine? I don't know if it's still your favorite, but I thought it might work for tonight." Arizona holds the bottle up to show Callie.

"I'd love some, thank you. And yes... it's still my favorite."

Arizona fills the glass and hands it to Callie. Callie takes the glass in one hand and then reaches to hold Arizona's hand with the other.

"You don't have any idea how much I have missed this." Arizona leans further into Callie

"This right here used to be our favorite thing to do," Callie says. Arizona looks at her and smirks.

"Hmm, I don't know about that. I think our favorite thing to do used to involve... how should I say it, less clothes?"

Callies bursts out laughing. "Well, I see you still have a one-track mind."

"Well, Calliope, it seems you bring out that side of me. I can't apologize for it, because I could never be sorry for that," she laughs.

"We used to spend so many nights laying here with a fire. In the winter, it is what I really looked forward to... coming home and snuggling up with you."

"I see where your son gets it. He seems to be quite the snuggler."

"Yeah. He really is. It's one of my favorite things about him."

"You know, he is a really wonderful little boy. You have done an amazing job with him. He is loving, smart, has a great sense of humor, and has your amazing smile. And those dimples... oh my goodness, Arizona. I don't know how you tell him no on anything," Callie admits with a soft smile.

"Well, I have to say, he does get by with a lot, but not usually with me. It's usually the grandparents and Tim that those dimples work on. I can resist them."

"I think you are stronger than I am then." Callie squeezes Arizona's hand as she laughs. "Those Robbins Dimples are hard to resist."

Arizona laughs and then squeezes Callie's hand before she sits up straighter and looks at Callie. "I believe they are Robbins-Torres dimples, Calliope."

Arizona considers her statement. "Calliope, about Zac's name..."

"Arizona, I already told you, his name didn't upset me. He is your son, and I don't blame you for giving him an "I" name to go with Isaiah and Isabella. We always said we would keep finding I names. I wouldn't ever expect you to not do something because of me."

"I didn't know how you would react to that though. I was afraid it would be a painful reminder. I debated it long and hard when I chose his name. After we decided on Isaiah and Isabella, before we had the babies, Isaac was always in the back of my head. It would have been my second choice. When I found out Zac was going to be a boy, it just seemed right."

"It's a beautiful name. What is his middle name?"

"Daniel. After my dad of course. Colonel didn't seem to fit," Arizona says laughing.

"No, I'd say not. It's not that I don't like it, but why didn't you quit using my last name?"

"We are still married. There was no reason for me to quit using it. And of course, I wanted Zac and I to have the same name. It honestly has never felt right to just go back to Robbins. You are a part of me now. It will always be who I am. Even when we have been apart, you are so much still here," Arizona replies with her hand over her own heart.

After debating with herself, she decides she needs to tell Callie the whole truth about Zac.

"Calliope. There's something I need to tell you about Zac. And I know you will probably have some mixed feelings, and that's ok, but I need you to know."

"You used the same donor that we used?"

"What? How did you know?"

"I didn't, until now. I kind of suspected. You had always said if our pregnancy didn't take, you wanted to keep using the same donor until we it did. You always liked that he looked so much like you."

"How do you feel about it? Are you upset?"

Callie takes a moment to gather her thoughts. "No... You and I thought that was the best donor out of all the ones we looked at. And there were a lot that we looked at. I wouldn't expect you to ever pick someone different. I wouldn't want you to have anything but the best."

"You really aren't upset?"

"I'm really not. No matter how many kids we had, you always made it known you wanted them to have the same donor. And even if it would have been you and I, I would have done the same thing."

Arizona nods. "Thank you. I wasn't sure how you would feel about it. I mean, I look at him and watch what he does and things he says, and I can't help but think what the babies would have been like. If they would laugh like him, or if they would have had your laugh. I wonder if they would have had your temper or if they would have been easy going like Zac."

"I can't believe you think I have a temper..." Callie says acting offended.

"Oh, you do. But it can be very… sexy."

"There you go again."

Arizona just laughs as she runs her thumb along the back of Callie's hand.

"I always wonder if Isabella would have had your smile. I love your smile and always hoped I would get to see it when I looked at her."

"I always wanted them to have dimples like you. I knew odds were against blue eyes, but I really wanted them both to have your dimples. I think that's why when I look at Zac, I don't think I could ever tell him no. He just looks so much like you and it just melts my heart."

"You and the dimples," Arizona says smiling. "You know, it's hard to believe the babies would have been in first grade this year." Arizona wipes the tears that begins to fall as she says it, giving Callie a small smile.

"I know. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about them. What they would have been like, how much fun we would have had, how amazing it would have been just watching you with them."

"I have the same thoughts. Every day."

They sit in silence for a few minutes. Both quietly reflecting. Both wondering what the other is thinking.

"Thank you. For talking about them… I know it's hard. It helps me though… to talk about them."

"I'm sorry I shut down on you. I wasn't able to see it until now. But I did. I completely shut down. And you are right. I was depressed and I was wallowing in self pity. Arizona, I can't believe I just walked away from you ..." Callie starts crying as she continues to talk.

"I walked away from you when I should have been clinging to you. God, I don't even know what I was thinking. I just, I blamed myself and really thought that all these years, you did too."

"Callie, I told you I didn't blame you. It was an accident. But, I know you were grieving. And when that happens, we can't always think clearly."

"I went to therapy, you know, when I left. I knew I needed help, but after I went, I just, felt worse. She was telling me the same things you had been telling me. And I just, I couldn't understand that it wasn't my fault. So I quit after a few sessions. I wish I could do it over and would have stayed with it."

Arizona was stunned that Callie had done that. "I wish you would have stayed here. We could have went together. I could have helped you."

"Arizona, I think it took.. me coming back six years later to see what I couldn't see then. I'm sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry it has taken me this long. I truly thought I was doing what was best for you. I blamed myself for losing our babies and then when they told me I couldn't have any more, I felt like I was letting you down again. I felt like I was a failure and I shut down. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Arizona pulls Callie to her and holds her as she cries. For the first time in years, she cries and lets go." Arizona continues to hold her and soothes her.

Callie, finally, after what seems like forever, pulls back and looks at Arizona.

"I am so sorry Arizona. You deserve so much better than how I treated you. I was so, so stupid for walking away and…"

"Yeah, you were incredibly stupid for doing that. But you were grieving. I could barely understand it at the time, because I was too. I was so frustrated with you. And when you came back the other day, I couldn't believe you were still as infuriating as before, still blaming yourself."

"The past two days, Arizona, you have shown me that everything I thought you believed about me, isn't true. I never thought you would want me around any kids after that. And you just, you willingly let me be part of everything. You didn't push me, you just showed me through every thing you did, how much you love me."

"Calliope, I'm not going to lie… I have been so mad at you. I know you were grieving, but you made some stupid decisions. And... and I was so, so mad. But more than that, I still love you. More than anything."

Callie just starts crying again. Harder than she cried a few minutes ago.

"Arizona…" she says shaking her head. "There are things I need to tell you. And I'm not sure how you are going to take what I have to say, but I'm asking you, to please, please let me explain."

"Ok," Arizona says sitting back apprehensively.

"You need to know, that when I left, it wasn't because I didn't love you. I loved you so much and I only thought I was doing what was best for you. And I can see now how wrong I was. I am so, so sorry. But, I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if you will let me. I love you and…"

That's all it takes for Arizona to cover Callie's lips with her own. Arizona can't wait another second. This is what she has wanted to hear for so long.

Arizona has her hands on the back of Callie's neck bringing her closer. It isn't until Arizona moans that Callie pulls back.

"Arizona…" she tries to say as she is kissed again. We need… we need to stop."

Arizona pulls back worriedly. "This isn't what you wanted? I'm, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just done that. I didn't..."

Callie cuts her ramblings off by planting another small kiss on her lips.

"No... stop. It's not that. Arizona, I love you, and I meant what I said. I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you." She sees Arizona becoming hopeful.

"At work, all day, every day, I spend my time editing things. I am always correcting someone else's mistakes and trying to make what they have already done a little better. But now, it's my turn to edit my mistakes... if you will let me. I need to correct all my wrongs. But there is something I need to tell you and you might decide that's not what you want after I tell you."

"Callie, if you tell me there is a chance for us to be together, I will be the happiest woman in the world. Nothing else you say can change my mind on that…"

"Arizona, I love you. So, so much. You need to understand, that when I left that I thought you were better off without me. When I sent you divorce papers, in my mind, we were over. Those papers meant that I had given you up. That was my punishment to myself for what happened. And I know that might not make sense to you, but in my mind, I didn't deserve you. To me, our marriage was over."

"Callie, that's usually what divorce papers mean. I'm not a genius, but I do not know that."

"Yeah, but you didn't sign them. And I kept sending them to you. I had to tell myself we were done though. That signature, was just a technicality in my mind. I know how this is going to sound, and I know how stupid I was being, but in my mind, you blamed me and I thought you were just not signing them out of spite. I couldn't see it was the total opposite. I can"t believe how stupid I was Arizona."

Callie takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. When she opens them, she begins to tell Arizona the rest. "Arizona, I met someone. It's not something I planned. It just kind of happened and..."

Arizona cuts her off, "Callie, I don't care. I went out with someone too. Granted it was only one time and I realized I couldn't ever be with someone else, but still. I went out with someone too."

The fact Callie wasn't smart enough to come to the same realization makes this even harder. Callie realizes that telling her this next part, will be harder than she ever thought.

Callie starts to open her mouth to say something, but Arizona cuts her off. Maybe Arizona is just as afraid of hearing what Callie has to say as much as Callie dreads saying it.

"Callie, can we put this on pause for tonight? I am exhausted. Just, very emotionally exhausted. I am so glad we are talking about things and I have waited for years to hear you say that you still love me. So what I would really like to do is to just lay in your arms for tonight."

"I really have more that I need to tell you Arizona."

"And you can. But later. I am exhausted and it's late and I really have to be able to get up and get things ready for the party tomorrow. I promise, we can finish this conversation. Just, not tonight."

Callie makes sure their wine glasses are put where they won't spill. She reaches back on the couch and pulls some pillows off and grabs the blanket that Arizona had laying there. She arranges the pillows and lays back, pulling Arizona with her.

Arizona lays with her head on Callie's chest. Callie hands Arizona the remote but she just lays it down. "I think I just want to lay here in the quiet. I've missed this so much, I just can't even tell you."

"I love you."

"I love you too, Arizona."

It didn't take long for either of them to fall asleep. Callie dreaded the rest of the conversation. She knew Arizona would be more than hurt by it, she just hopes she can forgive her.

The next thing they know, a phone ringing is bringing them out of sleep. As Arizona reaches for it, she sleepily answers.

"Hello. What? Tim, why would I do that?" Arizona asks reaching for the remote.

"What's wrong Arizona?" Callie sleepily mumbles.

What happens next takes them both by surprise.

One the tv, they hear... " Thanks for joining us here on New York Daily. As we said before break, Cameron Marshall has just announced her engagement to up and coming editor, Miss Callie Torres. Congratulations Cam!"

"Thank you. We are very, very excited." Cameron beams.

"I hear we have a picture of the happy couple?"

"Absolutely," Cameron says, right as a picture shows up on the screen of Cameron and Callie. The screen then flashes to Cameron who is all smiles.

"What the hell, Callie?"

AN: It was only a matter of time... Things always get worse before they get better! But…they will get better!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Arizona immediately stands up and walks away from Callie as soon as she hangs up from talking to Tim.

"Arizona... Please, will you let me explain?" Callie asks pleadingly.

"Seriously, Callie? You met someone? I'd say it's a little more than that!"

"I'm sorry. This isn't what it looks like."

"Oh, so your fiancé didn't just announce your engagement on national television?"

Callie hurriedly says, "Yes, she did. But she shouldn't have. I..."

"Oh, you mean she shouldn't have announced it until I signed those papers? Is that it? She was supposed to wait until you got back to New York?"

"What? NO!"

By this time, Callie is now standing in front of Arizona. They are both trying to understand how things could change so quickly. They were just starting to figure things out last night and right now, neither of them knows where they stand.

"I think you should probably go, Callie."

"We need to talk about this. We can't do that if I'm not here."

"Yeah, but what's your fiancé going to say about that?"

"Arizona, I was really trying to tell you last night. I know it looks bad, but"

"Looks bad? Are you even serious right now? Callie, you aren't "just dating" someone else. You are supposed to be getting married!" Arizona yells. "But what? Then it hit you, 'Oh, probably ought to divorce my wife first'?"

Callie starts crying. "I didn't mean for you to find out this way. I know this is a lot to take in. I called her after we spent that first day together. I told her that we needed to talk when I got back. It only took one day for me to know that I need you, that I couldn't walk away from you again."

"I don't think you know much of anything right now. I mean, three days ago you wanted me to sign those papers and let you move on. And now, I'm just supposed to believe you still love me... after I find out you have a fiancé? I'm sure you tell your fiancé that you love her too."

"I meant what I said last night. Every word of it. I love you. I love you with all my heart. I know I have messed up, but I want to fix this. I _will_ fix this. All of it," Callie says regretfully.

"Messed up? Is that what we are calling it? Callie, I went to the Burrito Buggy and they 'messed up' my order. But this?" Arizona says as she motions between this, "this is more than just 'messed up" Calliope." Arizona yells as she angrily walks out of the living room and heads upstairs.

Callie isn't far behind her. "Arizona, please, stop. I love you. I know I haven't shown you that and that my actions say otherwise, but I do."

"You know Callie, I'd like to believe that. I just… I don't know right now." She is standing outside her room by this point and she peeks in to look at the time. "I'm supposed to pick Zac up from your parents in 45 minutes. We forgot to set an alarm last night. I don't have the time to discuss this. I need a shower and I need to grab what I need to take to his party."

"I can help you."

"Yeah, no thanks. You've done enough for right now."

"Can we talk later, after the party? I just... we need to talk."

"You know, you keep saying _we need to talk_ , but you have had plenty of time for that. Six years actually, and now, you want to talk?"

"I know things are bad, but I'm afraid if we don't talk now, you won't want to talk later. I can't lose you again."

"You didn't lose me the last time. You left. There's a big difference there. Callie."

"I know. I'm sorry. Can we please talk tonight?"

Arizona starts to walk into her bedroom when she stops. "No. Honestly, I need time to think. I just… I need time. And I think you do too because everything you say is sounding like a broken record right now. I don't think you know what you want. I don't know that I can trust what you say you want. So, I think you need to take time too. Get your stuff figured out, sorted out, whatever... but you do that, and then, we can talk. One thing is for sure, I'm not dragging Zac into a mess."

Arizona shakes her head in disbelief. "You have a fiancé waiting for you. Damn it Callie," Arizona angrily wiped her tears. "You walked back into my life and made me fall for you all over again. But, I guess it's my fault. I will give you credit, you came with the purpose of getting me to sign divorce papers and I blew it all to pieces. God, I'm so stupid."

"I know how it looks Arizona, and I know I have hurt you and I know you are mad. And I knew you would possibly hate me when you found out. I'm the one that's stupid for handling everything all wrong. You might not believe me when I say this, but I am going to end it with her. I will. I was just waiting until I could explain things in person."

"Just so I know, how long have you been with her?"

"Um," Callie knows better than to downplay it at this point. "We, um, we met several year ago, through Addie. I never went looking for something. We….we started dating about three years ago. But I realized over the past two days that I have never loved her. I couldn't, because I still love you."

"Just out of curiosity, does she know about me? That we are still married?" Arizona isn't sure if she wants to know the answer to this or not.

Callie starts shaking her head from side to side. "No, she doesn't. It was always too hard to talk about and..."

"Stop. Just... stop! I've heard enough and I have to get ready. Then I am going to go get Zac and get ready for his party. I don't want him to pay for what is happening right now."

"Arizona, don't do this. Let me stay. Let's sort this out together."

"No. I have always known what I wanted. I'm not really the one who needs to sort things out. You need to sort your stuff out on your own. Zac is my first priority, and he doesn't need to see you trying to figure out what he and I are, to you. When you get your crap sorted, then, maybe we can talk."

"There's nothing to sort. Everything I said last night is still true. I didn't make that up, Arizona."

"I need to go Callie. Come to the party or not, but he will be disappointed if you don't. Then, you need to go back to New York, because for now, there is nothing else for us to talk about."

With that, Arizona walks into her room and slams the door, leaving Callie standing in tears. Arizona walks in and heads straight to the shower. She has too much to get down to stop and think about what just happened.

As Arizona gets ready, Callie also rushes to get ready to try to stop Arizona before she leaves. She gets dressed and picks up her phone. She fires off a text to Cameron, knowing she is still on the air right now.

 _"I can't believe you just did that. What were you thinking? I told you we needed to talk and then you pull something like that._

She puts her phone in her pocket and gathers her stuff. Knowing she is running out of time, she heads downstairs to catch her before she leaves. It looks like she is too late. Sitting on the counter is an envelope addressed to Callie.

She has a feeling of dread wash over her. She knows what's in that envelope. She shoves it in her purse and then rushes out to her car, desperate to find Arizona. Knowing Arizona has to get Zac, Callie decides to head to her parents' house first. When she pulls in, Arizona is already putting Zac in his car seat.

She pulls up beside her and gets out. She walks to the same side of the car Arizona is on.

"Callie!" Zac yells as her sees her.

"Hey Zac! Did you have fun with abuela and abuelo last night?"

"I did, but I missed mommy. And I missed you too."

Arizona watches Callie as she listens to the little blonde.

"We missed you too big guy. I'll see you at your party, ok?" Callie says with tears in her eyes.

"Ok! I can't wait!

She smiles at him as Arizona shuts the door and goes to get back in the driver's seat.

"Arizona...please." Callie almost begs.

"Callie, I told you. He could handle you being just a friend and leaving in three days. He is used to that with Teddy. But, he is already way more attached to you than what he has ever been with any of my other friends. It's different with you. I won't let him keep getting attached to have you decide you are staying with her after all. I won't do that to him. Did you get the envelope?"

"Um, yeah... I didn't open it. If it's the papers, I don't want them."

"Well, you know what, the past six years has been about you. But right now, it's going to be about me. I signed them and I want you to file them."

"No, Arizona, please... This isn't how I wanted this to end. I'm so sorry."

"Really? From where I stand, this is exactly how you wanted it to end. You know, or, you wouldn't have gotten engaged to someone else... While you were married to me. Three days ago, this is exactly what you wanted. So now, you've got it."

She wipes tears away as she starts to get into her car. "You need to file them. Then you need to figure yourself out. I have always loved you and I always will. But I deserve more than this. This has been my wake up call Callie. Don't expect me to always be waiting with open arms for whenever you decide I'm actually worth it. Now, I need to go. I'm not going to discuss this with Zac around again."

With that, Arizona gets in her car and pulls away, leaving Callie to stand alone in the driveway. Carlos and Lucy knew that something was up when Arizona walked in and it was obvious she had been crying.

When they see that Arizona has left, they open the door and go out to meet Callie.

"Calliope... what has happened? You two seemed to be getting along so well last night."

"Um, there's something I need to tell you. Can we go inside? Arizona isn't going to want me there until the party starts now."

They go inside and he tells them the whole story. Leaving nothing out. That ship has sailed and it is time to be open and honest.

"Calliope, I don't even know what to say." Carlos stands from the table and begins pacing around the kitchen. "Seems you have yourself in quite the situation."

"I know."

"She didn't deserve this."

"I know."

Carlos stops pacing to look at Callie. "Is that all you have to say?"

"I don't know what else _to_ say. I know I have screwed up. It started six years ago and apparently I can't stop screwing up. Maybe I did the right thing to begin with when I left. I can't hurt her if I stay gone. She and Zac, they both deserve more than me."

Lucy has been quiet up to this point, but she has heard enough. "Calliope Iphegenia Robbins-Torres. Don't you dare. Don't you dare sit here and tell us how much you love her and then talk about giving up. I agree with some of what Arizona said though You may have considered yourself divorced, but you aren't. You need to go get this sorted out and fix it. Make sure this is what you want. Then when you have things fixed in New York, then you come fix things here. Her and that little boy deserve to have all of you. Arizona doesn't deserve to have part of you. She deserves all of you. You don't have a leg to stand on if you expect her to give you the time of day until then. You are so fortunate she even considered telling you to figure things out. Most women would have kicked you out on your ass and never looked back."

Callie has the decency to look kind a scorned child. Lucy just put her in her place and she knows it. She needed to hear all of what Lucy just said.

"Your mother is right. We aren't going to stand back and support you if you think walking away again is what Arizona needs. If you weren't an adult, I'd put you over my knee. You messed up, now it's time to fix it. Fix it and then grovel if you need to. A Torres should never be above groveling for their woman."

With that, Carlos looks at the clock. "Come on. You need to start by being on time to that party. Let's go."

Callie doesn't have a chance to argue, but she knows he is right. She needs to fix this and then if groveling is what it takes, groveling is what she will do.

When they arrive at the party, everything is in full swing. Kids are running around and Arizona is standing with her parents by the cake. Just when Callie thinks things couldn't get any worse, the Colonel looks her way. She sees him say something to Arizona and Barb as they look over and see them walking in.

Carlos and Lucy head towards them while she decides to hang back for just a minute. This is the wrong move because when the Colonel sees she didn't come over to say hi, he is heading her way.

She watches as he excuses himself and Arizona reaches out to grab his arm. She says something to him and then he shakes his head as if he disagrees with whatever she said.

As he approaches Callie, he stops and looks at her. He surprises her by bringing his arms up and putting them around her for a hug. This isn't the reaction she expected but she reciprocates the hug.

When he pulls back, he says, "Callie."

"Colonel, it's good to see you."

"Well, that's why you rushed over to say hi then?" He gives her a knowing look.

"I'm sorry. I figured Arizona would have filled you in on everything and you wouldn't want to see me."

"I can't say the same for Barb, but it is good to see you. Luckily for you, Arizona only gave me the short synopsis of the past couple days. This isn't about what I want, though. This is about what she wants. And the fact is, no matter what you seem to put her through, she still loves you. I may not understand it, but I respect her, so I will respect her wishes. You, on the other hand, are not so lucky. I love you like a daughter Callie, and I am glad to see you, but when you left, you lost my respect. "

Callie has enough decency to look down and feel scorned for the umpteenth time today. "I'm sorry sir. I know I have screwed up. Over and over again. She deserves better, so much better."

"Well, at least we are in agreement on that."

"Yes sir. We are," Callie says sorrowfully.

"Then what are you going to do about it? You need to tell me what are you going to do to remedy this situation you have created?"

"Sir, I know I messed up. And I honestly don't blame her for being mad. Or upset. Or anything else she feels for me. I know I have messed things up badly. But I will fix this. I know she doesn't believe me, but I love her. More than she knows. I lost myself for a while, but in just a few short days, she helped me find myself again. I only wish I had let her do it years ago."

"Well, I hope you follow through. The last thing she needs is to hear you say you will be back, get her hopes up, and then have you not follow through. So, whatever you do, don't make promises you don't intend to keep."

"I won't sir. You have my word."

"Good. In that case, we have a party to get back to. And I believe there is a three year old looking for you. He has really taken to you." With that, the Colonel walks off to rejoin his wife, as Callie sees Tim walking towards her.

"I'm assuming that went better than we all expected, because you are still here. We really thought he was going to escort you straight back out the door."

"Yeah, I expected the same," Callie says remorsefully.

"Look, after our talk yesterday, I thought I didn't have to worry about something like this. But apparently, I was wrong," Tim said. "You should have told her from the beginning. That was wrong of you on so many levels. But, no matter what you put her through, she still loves you. She is a strong woman, but don't take advantage of her loving you. She said that you told her you would fix this. I guarantee you she won't admit it and she might say otherwise, but she will be waiting on you to do just that."

"I know I screwed everything up, but I promise you, I'm going to fix it. She won't let me explain everything, but I get it. I didn't expect her to give me the time of day. Tim, I treated her so badly. I understand that she wants me to take some time and get things sorted. She just doesn't see that she has already helped me do that. I wanted to believe I could love Cameron and move on, because I didn't deserve Arizona. But, I realized I could never love Cameron. Not when Arizona is the one who holds my heart. Hell, I couldn't even sleep with her,that should have told both of us something," Callie says as Tim's mouth drops."

"TMI Cal."

"Sorry. I didn't' mean to say that out loud. I have been with her for years, but she has never had my heart. And it's because Arizona still has it. And I fully intend to make this right Tim."

"More info than I needed, Cal."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to say that. But it all makes sense now. But I was ready to accept it all as my punishment for the babies. I can see now how wrong I was, about all of it."

"Yeah, you were."

"I'm heading back to New York tonight. I'm going to get things in order and then, I'll be back."

"I'm going to hold you to it."

That's all Tim says as he walks away. Callie decides she needs to go and see Zac, so she heads over towards the rest of the group.

Barb sees her coming and is less than thrilled. She excuses herself before Callie even gets there. Callie can see she will have her work cut out for her when she gets back with her mother-in-law.

"Hey…" Arizona says as Callie walks to stand beside her."

"Hey," Callie says quietly.

"You came."

"Yeah. I told Zac I would be here."

Arizona nods. "He is over there. He has already been asking about you."

"I'll go see him then," Callie says with a small smile. She didn't want to engage Arizona in more awkward conversation with an audience so she makes her way towards Zac.

"Callie! You came!"

"Yeah, iI did," she says as she picks him up.

"Happy Birthday! You enjoying your party?"

"Yeah! It's almost time to have cake and open presents!"

"I can't wait to try some cake!" Callie puts him down and he runs to Arizona.

Arizona takes the opportunity to gather everyone around for the cake. Callie makes sure to give them room but is surprised when Zac yells over to her.

"Callie! Come help me blow my candles out!"

Callie is caught off guard by the request. She looks to Arizona to see what her reaction is before she says anything. As their eyes meet, Callie sees Arizona give a slight nod of her head. Most would miss it, but Callie caught it.

She quietly walks over to Zac as he reached for her to pick him up. Once again, she looks to Arizona and again sees the slight nod. She picks him up as Barb clears her throat, clearly not in agreement with her daughter.

Trying not to give her mom time to make her disapproval known to everyone, she starts leading them in a chorus of Happy Birthday. Once the song finishes, Arizona leaned over towards Callie and Zac and whispers in his ear. With nothing but smiles, Zac-still in Callie's arms, leans over and blows his candles out. To anyone watching, they seem like a happy family.

After they eat cake, Zac is sat in the middle of a table and given presents to open. Callie is off to the side, trying not to give anyone a reason to be any more upset with her than they already are. Barb has given her enough glares that if anyone didn't know something was up before, they would know now.

After opening his presents, Zac is starting to get tired, so Arizona has Zac say thank you to his guests while Tim and Teddy take his stuff out to the car. It would seem Teddy spent the night with Tim last night and they seem quite inseparable this morning.

As Arizona and Zac approach Callie, Zac runs to give her a hug. Callie embraces the little boy as her eyes well up with tears.

"Are you coming home with us?"

"Um, no, not today buddy. I, I uh, I have to go back to New York for a little bit. But I promise you," Callie says as she looks Arizona in the eyes, "I promise you I will be back."

"Callie," Arizona says wiping a lone tear, "please don't make him promises you can't keep."

"I have every intention of keeping this promise."

Arizona reaches for Zac so they can leave. As she reaches for him, her hand accidentally lands on top of Callie's. Callie adjusts to where she can turn her hand and hold Arizona's, even if for just a second. Arizona pauses, but then moves her hand and takes Zac.

As she turns to walk away, she hears Callie quietly say, "I love you both."

She doesn't dare turn around. She just keeps walking to the door where her parents are waiting. Callie needs to sort herself out, but when she does, she will be waiting.

Callie gives them time to leave and then heads to her car. Her parents left as soon as he finished opening presents. Her dad had an appointment to get to. She needs to tell them bye before she leaves but decides to make a stop before she heads there.

About ten minutes later, Callie brings her car to a stop. She sits for a while before she gets the courage to open the door. When she finally does, she makes her way over to the gravesite.

As she reads the head stone, she breaks down.

Isabella Grace and

Isaiah Scott

Robbins-Torres

Beloved daughter and son.

March 2, 2012 - March 2, 2012

Callie sits by the headstone as she places the two roses she bought in the vase next to her.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry. I know I let you down," Callie cries. I've let your mommy down. I promise the two of you that I'll make this right. When we lost you, we were devastated. There isn't a day that goes by that we don't think of you. You were brought into this world because we loved each other so much. We loved you before you were even conceived if that's even possible. Then, when we found out you were on the way, we were over the moon happy. I can't begin to tell you how much we loved you. And it just made us love each other even more. When we lost you, I fell apart. Not only did your mommy lose you, but she lost me too. I know I need to make it up to her. I need to make it up to you guys too. It was my job to take care of your mommy and I didn't do it. I promise you, I will make it up to her. I'll spend the rest of my life taking care of your mommy, if she will let me.

Callie continues to cry and talk. She thought it would be too hard to come here, but she has felt a peace she wasn't expecting.

When she has no more tears left to cry, she makes one last promise to do right by them. She leaves with a new peace that she never expected to have again. Now, she just has to work on repairing what she broke and regaining the trust of the woman she loves.

She heads back to her parents' house to tell them goodbye, with plans to be back as soon as she takes care of things in New York.

At home, Arizona gets Zac carried in. The party wore him out so she is sure he will sleep for a while. She decides to carry his presents in so he can play when he gets up.

As she is walking back out to the car, Teddy is pulling in. She gets out of the car and begins to help Arizona carry things in.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?"

"Well, I figured you might need an ear. And if that isnt what floats your boat, I brought ice cream, some tissues, a cheesy comedy, and some wine for later tonight."

"All you had to say was that you brought wine," Arizona have a thankful smile.

" I figured. Now let's get this carried in, then I'll grab that stuff. I'll give you a head start on the wine. If you want."

"No, we will save that for when he is in bed later. I want to enjoy his birthday with him when he wakes up. I don't want to be drunk through it all."

"Ok then. We will start with ice cream."

"So…" Teddy starts as she begins scooping ice cream.

"So, my wife shows up and wants a divorce. I then, for lack of a better word, blackmail her, into staying with us for three days. That if she does, I would sign the divorce papers."

"What were you thinking?"

"That maybe I could change her mind? We had fun and she seems to adore Zac and he adores her. And then she says she loves me and wants to fix her mistakes. And then, I find out she is engaged, while seeing it on national tv. What the hell Teddy? Who does that?"

Teddy has already heard the story from Tim, but wants to give Arizona the chance to talk it through.

"I mean, who does that?"

"Apparently your wife," Teddy says watching her. "How do you feel about everything?"

Arizona tries to find the right words to convey her thoughts. "I was mad. So, so mad. But now that it's sinking in, I'm just so upset. Hurt. Devastated. I cant believe my _wife_ has a _fiancé._ I mean, that sounds like a story I would write," Arizona says wiping a tear away.

"I always wanted her to come back. But not like this, you know?"

"I know. But Tim said she was supposed to end things with that woman. Camille or Carmella, or whatever."

"It's Cameron. The sad thing is that I have seen her on tv before. I won't admit it to anyone else, but I actually used to like watching her. That just ticks me the hell off even more," Arizona says causing Teddy to try to stifle a laugh.

"Well, I saw the way she looked at you last night. I really think she may have been incredibly, unbelievably, undeniably stupid, but I do think that she loves you. Give her some time to get things situated. I guarantee you, she will be back. That chick on tv, she can't hold a candle to you," Teddy snickers.

"Thanks Teddy. I just, I'm so upset and confused. I don't know what she is going to do when she gets to New York. And, I was so mad earlier, I gave her the papers, and I signed them. I actually told her to file them."

"You did?"

"Yeah. I did. But as mad as I am, I dont want her to file them. That's desperate isn't it?"

"No. It just means you still love her."

"I do. After what she just pulled, I should be against ever taking her back. But I still love her."

"Well, then you only have one thing to do. You wait. The ball is in her court. She either files the papers or fights like hell to get you back."

"Come on, put in that stupid movie you brought. I can't spend all day thinking about her. She will or she won't be back. I just don't want to think about it anymore for today."

"Ok. Let's go watch this stupid movie then," Teddy smiles as she takes Arizona's hand to head towards the couch.

"Teddy, after being around her again, I don't know what I'll do if she doesn't come back."

"We will get you through it, one way or the other."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

 _4 weeks ago…._

As Callie carries her bags back into her apartment after getting back to New York, she is welcomed home by a very unwelcome sight.

"Callie, welcome home!" cam says as she rushes towards Callie.

"You really need to stop," Callie says as she scowls at Cameron. "What the hell was that tv announcement all about?"

"Whoa, what are you talking about?" Cameron asks slyly.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about. You went on national tv and announced the engagement, without talking to me. You also knew I said we needed to talk. I'm not sure what that means where you are from, but here, that usually means things aren't ok. And yet, you went full speed ahead and made the announcement. Why in the hell would you do that without talking to me first."

"Callie. I didn't mean to upset you. I just thought that.."

"Cameron. I'm going to stop you right there. The past 48 hours, all I have done is argue or get lectured. So let me save us both the trouble and just end this."

"What do you mean? End what?"

Callie reaches in her purse and pulls out the ring Cameron just gave her a few weeks ago.

"Callie, no. Don't give me that back. We can work through this."

Callie laughs dryly. "Actually Cam, this is me, working through this. I am tired. Exhausted. And I have done nothing but screw things up. But this is one thing I can fix, right now. We are over. You need someone who can love you… with all their heart. And the thing is, that's not me, it never has been." Callie says as she reaches for Cameron's hand and places the ring in her palm.

"Callie…what is going on? We were so happy…"

"I tried to be. But I'm not. I'm sorry. I don't know why you announced our engagement on tv, but you were wrong on doing so. You knew I wanted to talk and should have waited. Having said that, I have messed up even worse, so I really don't know why I'm so upset with you."

"What are you talking about?"

"There is no easy or good way to say this." Callie could almost see this as a plot to a story coming across her desk.

"I'm married. It's not that we have been together all this time, because we haven't. I did send her divorce papers. She just, never signed them. Well, actually she finally has now, but I don't want it now. I have messed up Cam and I just keep hurting everyone. It is time for it to stop."

"I can't believe you lied to me."

"The fact of the matter is, to me, it was over. Or at least I truly believed it was, until last week. I realized I how wrong I have been. I'm so sorry Cam, and I know it's terrible and…."

Smack!

"I guess I had that coming. I'm sorry. But I love her and I just can't do this.

Tim used his key to open Arizona's door. He has been trying to call her all day and she hasn't answered. He knew Teddy stayed the night with her but had to leave early this morning. As far as he knows, she hasn't spoken to anyone since. As he walks into the house, he finds her on the couch with Zac, watching Thomas the Tank Engine. There are chip bags, juice boxes, and an ice cream container all laying on the coffee table.

"Um, hey guys, we doing alright?"

"Uncle Tim!" Zac jumps up and runs to give him a hug.

"Hey buddy. Whatcha doin'?"

"Watching Thomas. Wanna watch with us? You can have a juice too!"

"You know what, that sounds good, buddy!"

Zac leads him to the couch and has a seat. Arizona has yet to say anything so he decides to let it go for a little while.

A half hour and two juice boxes later, he looks at Zac and asks, "Hey, you wanna go take a bubble bath? It's getting kind of late so we don't want stinky toes!"

"Why does everyone think they are stinky?"

"Did mommy say you have stinky toes too?"

"No, Callie did. She made me take a bubble bath too."

Tim watches Arizona as Callie is mentioned. She closes her eyes and then stands to start gathering trash.

Tim takes that as their cue to give her a little alone time. He picks Zac up and throws him over his shoulder as they head to the tub.

"We'll be back," Tim says as he passes Arizona. She only nods, listening to Zac giggle af he bounces over Tim's shoulder.

After getting Zac a bath, Tim decides it is late enough to where he can go ahead and put Zac to bed. So after his jammies are on, he tucks him in and grabs his favorite book. They settle in and before they finish the book, Zac has closed his eyes. Tim quietly closes the book and gets up to head down to find Arizona.

When he does, she is on the couch with a bottle of wine. One glass in her hand and another on the coffee table for Tim.

He sits down and reaches for the glass and fills it. As he leans back, he glances over to find Arizona with tears in her eyes.

"I tried calling you. So did Teddy. We were getting worried."

"I'm sorry. I just didn't want to talk about it today. I just needed some time with Zac. We went out and had a picnic by the lake, played on the swings, and just didn't think about anything. I left my phone in here. You and Teddy called, Mom and Dad called, Lucy called. And… Callie called. Five times. I just couldn't talk to anyone."

"Are you going to call her back?"

"Why… to ask how her fiancé is?"

"She really screwed up, I know. I talked to Lucy last night after she left. She said Callie was determined to make you give her another chance."

"Talk is cheap sometimes Tim. I mean, she is engaged! While still married to me! Why would I just take her back right now?"

"Because she admitted she screwed up. And she loves you?"

"Are you taking her side?"

"No, but you waited so long for this. And you just might have that chance. I just figured you would jump on it."

"You know, two nights ago, we laid right here in front of the fireplace. And she told me how sorry she was, that she wanted to spend the rest of her life fixing us. And I was going to let her. But, then I find out she was going to marry someone else. She has dated her for years Tim. Years. That isn't some random mistake. That is a decision she made every day, for years. While I was here waiting for her, she is sleeping with someone else. While being married to me. That's… I can't even think about it."

"I talked to her for a few minutes yesterday. She let something slip that she didn't mean too," he says as he looks at her.

"And?"

"She never slept with her."

"Yeah, right," Arizona scoffs. "Why in the hell were you even talking to her about merely that?"

"We weren't talking about that. She was more rambling and trying to rationalize things, I think. She said something and it clicked for her. Something about how that's why she had never slept with her… because she was still in love with you. You know how she rambles."

"She just didn't love me enough not to marry her?"

"Look, I can't even imagine what you are going though. But sometimes people lose themselves. And sometimes, they actually find themselves and come back. If you love her, it might be worth talking to her. Giving her a chance."

"I need time."

 _Two weeks ago…_

Addie rushes into Callie's office to see her staring out the window. "Hey, I just got your text. What's wrong?"

"Can we go out tonight? I need to drink."

"Callie, you seriously texted me to hurry up here, just to say you want to go out for a drink? We talked about this. That isn't going to help anything."

"It sure as hell won't hurt. Come on Addie…"

"No. You have moped around for weeks. When are you going to tell me what happened down there?"

"Ugh, Addie."

"Come on. I checked before I came in here. Meredith left but Christina is covering for her. She said you don't have anything for an hour. So spill. You have left me hanging for 2 weeks and you've been nothing but sad and mopey. I've left you alone, but it's time to cough it up Sally."

Callie reaches for her purse and pulls out the envelope containing the divorce papers and lays it on her desk. "She signed them. She told me to file them."

"Oh. But isn't that what you wanted? I mean, it _is_ what you went there for." Addie asks confused.

Callie wipes a tear away. "It is, but..."

"Wait. That's the problem isn't it? That's why you broke up with Cam as soon as you got back. You don't want the divorce anymore, do you?"

"No." Callie has another tear slipping down her tanned cheek. She may as well tell her, she thinks.

"So. here's what happened…."

Callie told Addie everything. She hadn't been able to talk about it since she got back. Addie knew her and Cam had broken up, but that's all she knew. Callie had yet to say anything about Arizona until now.

As Callie finishes her story, Addie looks at her with sad eyes. "That's a lot to take in. So you told her you were ending things, and you have tried to call and tell her you have, and she won't answer your calls?"

"Yep. That's about where I'm at."

"And she has a little boy, with the same donor you two used?"

"Yep. You should see him. He looks just like her."

"Well, I don't know what she looks like, so, that doesn't tell me much."

"They have beautiful blue eyes that are like… the bluest blue you have ever seen. Matching dimples that just make it impossible to tell them no. Beautiful blonde hair… Heart stopping. And the best laugh. He sounds just like her too. He is smart but not an air head. He loves to read, just like her."

"Hm. Sounds like you are head over heels. For both of them."

"Yeah. I am. But she won't answer my calls. I want to tell her it's over with Cam. To see beg for another chance. She gave me those stupid papers to file, but why would I file them when I want to make things work? I just need her to talk to me."

"Well, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know what I'm doing. I can't give up my job if she isn't going to give me another chance. I mean, she told me to file the papers. As far as I know, that's what she still wants. I promised her... well, I promised her and Zac, that I would be back. And she didn't tell me no, but she didn't say ok, either. So, for now, I'll keep calling. She has to answer eventually, right?"

"Let's go have a drink tonight." Addie stands and walks to the door. I'll pick you up at 8?

"Thank you Addie."

"Anytime. Oh! I almost forgot. I received your email earlier. You said you are finished with that Bobbie Daniel draft? How was it?"

"Um, it was great. The story was amazing. As always, she makes me connect to the characters unlike anyone ever has before. To be honest, she will make my job easy. She doesn't really even need me. But… I'm a fan and can't wait to meet her so I'll still follow through with our initial sit-down meeting with her."

"Great! That's what we like to hear! You want me to get Christina to go ahead and schedule or do you want to do it?"

"Let Christina do it. When will Meredith be back? It seems like every time she is out, something ends up messed up."

"I don't know. She was getting sick. May end up being a day or two."

"Awesome," Callie sighs sarcastically.

"Tonight. 8 o'clock."

"I'll definitely be ready. Thanks Addie."

Teddy walks into Arizona's office as the phone is ringing. Arizona continues to work while she ignores it.

"You ignore my calls too, don't you? I knew it."

"No Ted's, I don't. That was Callie. Again."

"So, she is still calling?"

"Yep. Every day. Ten times a day."

"Maybe you should… I don't know… answer it?"

"Nope. Not today Teds. Not today. She just can't have it that easy. Maybe I'm being difficult, but it is going to take a hell of a lot more than a phone call. And I'm just not ready to talk to her. Not yet. I'm still mad. I need time to be mad. I deserve that. I wish she would just let it go for now."

"What if you let it go for too long and she files the papers that you signed?"

"Then she didn't try hard enough."

"Arizona, what exactly do you expect from her? She doesn't live here. And a phone call is about the best she can do right now."

"Then maybe that's not enough Teddy. I need more from her before I can even think she is serious."

"But you have to let her start somewhere. Maybe she kicked Cassidy to the curb already. She probably doesn't know what you want. And you not answering your damn phone won't help things."

"If I didn't know better, I would say that you and Tim are both on her side. And it's Cameron."

"Honestly Arizona, we can both see that there is still something between you. Any idiot could. But you have to meet her halfway. And Cassidy, Cameron…. Whatever."

"Last week, maybe I would have agreed. Now, she needs to do a little more than meet me half way."

Teddy turns to walk out, but stops. "Oh, almost forgot why I stopped. Tim is babysitting tonight. We are going out with April. She has the night off. Be ready at 7. Tim and I will be there then you and I will meet April." As she steps out the door, she turns around one more time. "Oh, and answer your damn phone next time."

A few minutes later, the phone does ring. It is a number she doesn't recognize but she decides maybe she should answer.

"Hello?"

"Hello, my name is Christina Yang. I'm calling from Bellas Historias. I was wanting to set up a meeting between you and our editor…."

 _Earlier this morning…_

"Callie, you ready for your big meeting today? You've been looking forward to it for weeks, " Addie cheerfully rattles as she walks into Callie's office.

"I am. It's just hard to get excited about much of anything these days."

"Well….remember what I told you? About her being hot? Maybe it is just what you need. Maybe we can invite her out tonight. The meeting is late so we put her up in a suite for the evening so she is for sure going to still be in town. Then, you know, I can excuse myself and leave you two be." Addie wiggles her eyebrows as Callie shakes her head at her.

"Addie, that's the last thing I want to do. Unfortunately, who I want, still isn't taking my calls. I need to go down there this weekend. I can't keep sitting here, just waiting."

"I'll tell you what, we will even book you a ticket."

"I can get it, Addie."

"Nope. This one is on us. Especially if wee can get you to quit moping."

"Fine," Callie says. "Um, Addie.. I don't know if she will take me back. But if she does, I don't think staying here will be an option. I don't know that she would ever want to move Zac away from his family. I couldn't ask her to do that. But I hate to quit and miss out on what we are doing here."

"I never said you would have to quit. Most of it, you could do remotely. People fly to New York to meet with you now so we can just have them come to you there, too. For quicker meetings, we can start using video conference. It would be cheaper anyway."

"Really?"

"Really. And you know, we were talking about opening another office here in a few months anyway, maybe having one a little more south is worth considering. You could run it."

Callie jumps up and gives Addie a hug. "Thank you Addie. I've been over everything a million times. I just… I hated to quit but I can't stay here if there is a chance she will take me back."

"I know. You do what you need to do. We will figure out work. Ok?"

"Ok. Thank you."

"Hey, mom! I just wanted to let you know that I landed safely. I'm headed straight to the publisher, then I will be at the hotel later. What? Yeah, I'll try to call and check on Zac. It's not like I have plans. Ok. Yeah, I know mom. Yes, I will. Love you too. Bye."

Arizona takes the same cab ride that she took over a month ago. So much had changed since then. She still can't believe that she has signed a five year contract with Bellas Historias. With everything that happened, she hasn't had a lot of time to let it sink in.

Just like last time, she looks out at the city and wonders about Callie. This time it's different than the last time. Callie is still calling, every day, ten times a day. She almost answered it this morning. But she didn't.

She is wearing down though. She misses her. Having her back for a few days was like heaven. She can still remember how good it felt to have her lips on her own again. She can't help it, she longs to feel that again. Even though she is still mad, maybe, just maybe, she will answer the next time she calls.

 _Present time_

The elevator dings and Arizona steps off the elevator. Much like last time, she is pulling her carry on behind her and has her messenger bag carrying her laptop over her shoulder.

She approaches the desk and Meredith is there to greet her again.

"Well, Bobbie, it's good to see you again!"

"Meredith, it's good to see you too. I'm here for my meeting with the editor."

"Ah, yes. She has been so excited to meet you. She has been a fan for a while now. I can't tell you how excited she was to come home from her trip to find that they signed you."

"You really know how to make a girl feel good," Arizona laughs.

"Well, hold on tight, I'm sure this lady in here will make you feel even better than I can!" Meredith laughs, thinking nothing of just how true that statementcoupd be, in more than one way. "Come on, follow me," she says as she stands and heads towards Callie's door.

As Meredith opens the door, she says, "Bobbie, here we are. Please meet Callie Torres, our editor in chief."

"Callie?"

"Arizona?


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Arizona..." With a surprised but hopeful look, Callie gets up from her seat. As she walks closer to Arizona, she stops just inches away. "You're here… How, did you find me?"

Quickly, it becomes apparent that Callie didn't hear how Meredith addressed her when they were walking in.

"I, didn't. I... I didn't realize you would be here."

"What do you mean? If you didn't know I would be here, then why are you here?" Callie asks confused.

Feeling somewhat baffled herself, she responds, "I have a meeting. With the editor."

"I don't understand. My next meeting is with Bobbie Daniel."

"Actually, um, that's me. I'm… Bobbie Daniel," offers Arizona with a somewhat sheepish expression.

"What do you mean, you're Bobbie Daniel? I don't understand." Callie shakes her head trying to figure out what she has missed. "Wait…"

Arizona watches as realization begins to dawn on her.

"Bobbie …Barbara and Daniel. Your parents. Of course, it's your pen name. That's why you had her books on your shelf. Um, that's, wow." Callie says shaking her head. "You left to come here for a meeting with Addie the day I watched Zac…"

"Yeah. And she said the editor was out of town."

"I can't believe this. I saw the books on your shelf and wasn't surprised we had the same taste. But, I never thought that it would actually be you."

"Wait. You said you told me you worked for Addie Montgonery. I met with an Addison Forbes."

"Its actually Forbes-Montgomery," Callie offers. She only goes by Forbes at work.

"I see."

"I wasn't trying to hide where I worked," Callie said, fearing Arizona might think she was hiding something else.

"I didn't say you were, Callie."

"Well, we didn't spend a lot of time talking about work."

"No, we didn't." Arizona sighs.

"So, you are really the Bobbie Daniel I am meeting with."

"Yeah. I really am."

Meredith has watched the whole interaction. She can't believe this is Callie's Arizona. Deciding they need to sort this out , she quietly slips out the door.

Both of them stand and take in the other. Both wondering what the other is thinking. What are the odds, Arizona wonders, of this happening? There are hundreds of publishing companies in New York. How the hell did she end up in Callie's office.

She takes in what Callie is wearing. A grey pant suit, a red silk blouse, and black heels. She has her hair pulled to one side in loose curls. Red lipstick on. It's a sight to behold, Arizona thinks.

"I've called." Callie finally says while looking away.

"I know."

"You didn't answer." Callie looks back at Arizona and gives a sad smile as she looks down.

"I'm sorry. I just, I needed some time."

"Don't be sorry. I don't blame you. I probably wouldn't talk to me either."

"Callie…"

"You don't have to explain Arizona. I hurt you, and I get it. I knew that's what would happen. For what it's worth though, I wanted you to know that it's over… with Cameron. It's been over since the night I got back. I was just hoping you would answer so I could tell you."

"Callie, I don't know what to say right now. I am still trying to wrap my head around everything. I'm still so…"

"Look, you don't have to say anything. So, let's just… Let's work. That's why you are here for, so let's just work right now. Ok? I know we were both caught off guard, but we can do this. Fate obviously put us together for this, so let's do this."

Arizona nods, looking around the office. Callie offers her a seat around a small table in the corner of her room. Callie has various books displayed on her shelves. Many of them, Arizona has as well.

"You know, in all the time we were together, I never imagined you writing a book. Your pieces for the paper were always great, but your books, I'm blown away by them. I'm not just saying that because it's you. Someone recommended them to me several months ago, and I was just amazed. I knew we had to get in touch with you."

"It was never something I thought about. But, after everything that happened, it was something I picked up. It helped me to cope, I guess. Wait... are you the one who initiated contact with my agent?"

Callie nods and picks up a folder. "I was. I told Addie we needed to see where you stood with the other publisher. I thought we could do so much more for you. It looks like you agreed."

"I do. Addie offered everything I could have wanted. I would have been crazy to resign with the other one."

Callie nods. "I have to say, each book you write gets better and better. I don't know how many revisions the others took, but I only have a few suggestions on this one."

"I'm sure you have more than a few." Arizona smiles.

"I really don't. What I have is only minor. And they are just suggestions. Nothing we would ever demand be changed. Let me give you my suggestions and we will see what you think…"

About an hour later, after discussing a few things back and forth, they reach a decision on some minor changes that will take place. Callie was right, she didn't have much to change.

"So, since this isn't going to take as long as we thought, how about we go ahead and see if we can get you an appointment with our cover art team. We call them CAT. You can maybe give them an idea of what you are thinking so we can get this moving and get it published."

"Yeah. That sounds great."

"Come on, I'll take you down there to meet them."

Callie stands and heads for the door. Arizona is following behind, and when Callie opens the door, Meredith and Addie are standing just a few feet away. Callie glares at them because it is obvious they were trying to eaves drop.

"Bobbie, it's nice to see you again," Addie says, while approaching Arizona and holding out her hand to shake."

"Addison, it's good to see you too," Arizona says.

"So… I was just going to take Arizona down to meet the art team." Callie looks between them, waiting on one of them to say something.

"Arizona? I thought her name was Bobbie?

"Addie, you and I both know that Meredith stormed into your office earlier as soon as she left mine and told you what happened."

"You don't know that," Addie says defensively.

"So she didn't?" Callie asks with her eyebrow raised.

"I didn't say that. I just said that you didn't know." Smirking, Addie gives her a knowing look.

Callie shakes her head. "Addie, this is Arizona Robbins, also known as Bobbie Daniel. Arizona, this is Addison Forbes-Montgomery. We call her Addie."

Arizona corrects her. "It's actually Arizona Robbins-Torres."

Hearing her correct her name, gives Callie just a little bit of hope. More than she has had in a month. Arizona glances over, just in time to see a small smile grace Callie's face.

"Anyway, you ready?" Callie says as she motions down the hall.

After they meet with the art team, they had back to Callie's office so she can grab her things.

"I should have asked earlier, but I was in too much shock that you were here. How is Zac?"

"He is good. He is still talking about going to the water park. He keeps begging to go back," Arizona smiles. "He asks about you all the time. He really likes you."

"I really like him too," she offers with a small smile.

"So…" Callie says as she watches her gather her things. "I should have offered earlier, but I was being selfish and wanted to spend some time with you any way I could get it. But I should have offered to let you work with another editor though. I'm sorry. If it makes you more comfortable, I can switch you over to someone else."

"Callie, if it made me that uncomfortable, I could have asked for someone else. The thing is, I know you are an excellent editor. I'd be insane to ask for someone else if I have a chance to have you as my editor. I want the best."

"But we have some that are very capable. I just don't want you to feel pressured to work with me. I don't ever want you to feel like…"

"Callie. Stop." Arizona says as she hesitantly walks closer to Callie. "I don't. So, don't worry about it."

"Go out with me. Tonight," Callie says abruptly. "I know you are staying because we booked you a room. So, let take you out. We don't have to talk about anything at all. I just, I want to spend time with you," Callie asks. "Please. It's only been a month but I have missed you, so much."

Arizona considers the request. "Callie, I don't think it is a very good idea. Not yet."

"Please… just dinner. And maybe a drink after. Just, a few hours. I know I don't deserve it, but please."

Arizona has never been so torn. She wants to go, but she is still hurt and upset. "Can I think about it? Maybe text you later and let you know for sure?"

"Um, yeah. Sure. If that's what you want," Callie disappointedly nods.

Arizona nods and walks to the door. "I'll let you know. Thank you for your suggestions. I'll revise and get you the corrections as soon as possible."

Callie says, "Ok," as she gives a sad smile and watches Arizona leave her office.

Addie is standing off to the side right outside Callie's door. Arizona doesn't see her follow behind her as she heads to the elevator. The door opens immediately after the button is pressed. Arizona gets in and is surprised when she turns around and Addie is right behind her.

"Oh!" Arizona says, startled.

"Arizona…" Addie says. "I didn't meant to startle you."

"Oh, no problem. My head was just in other places."

"Can I buy you a tea or maybe coffee?" Addie offers.

"Um…" afraid to say turn her down, Arizona says, "sure."

They ride silently to the bottom floor. When they get out, Arizona leads them next door to a small coffee shop.

They both order and then have a seat.

"Look, Arizona, I couldn't help but overhear some of your conversation with Callie before we left."

"Oh. I didn't realize we had an audience."

"I promise, it really wasn't intentional this time. I had come to ask her about going out for drinks. Actually, all three of us. But when I heard her ask you out, I didn't come in."

Arizona sits there, not knowing exactly how this conversation is going to go. She has a feeling this is the best friend speech though.

"Arizona...I have known Callie for over five and a half years. We met at a conference one day after she and I were put in a group together. She had amazing ideas and seemed so well put together. I knew I wanted her to work with me."

"She has always been amazing at what she does." Arizona replies.

"I could tell. So, I made sure we went out for drinks that night. I filled her in on the company I was putting together, and she agreed to work with me in the evenings, for nothing, to help me get on my feet. And she spent hours helping me after working her job at the paper during the day. If it weren't for her, I don't know that I could have ever pulled this off by myself."

"She was always a hard worker. I always admired that about her."

"She and I became best friends. Most of our time was spent together, and I never understood why she wouldn't date. It took her months before I could get her to open up."

Arizona isn't given a chance to say much as Addie keeps talking.

"I don't know how much she told you about her time here, but she was never truly happy. She went through the motions, day in and day out. She cried every time she sent divorce papers. I think she was always relieved when you sent them back. Or when you shredded them first. But she thought you were just doing it to be spiteful. She honestly didn't believe it was because you didn't want the divorce. If you think it was easy for her, it wasn't. She was not thinking clearly and we couldn't convince her otherwise, but she was determined to follow through and let you have a life she thought you deserved. I saw her cry herself to sleep more nights than I could count. I know you think she was up here canoodling with Cameron the whole time, but it wasn't like that. Cam wanted it to be, but it just wasn't. Callie kept telling herself she could fall in love. But she couldn't. We all knew it. We could see it. It makes me a terrible friend to Cam, but, it is what it is. Callie was my priority."

Arizona keeps listening. Not saying anything.

"I'm telling you this because I'm under the impression you think she was totally in love with her. And I know Callie told you she wasn't, and that's probably hard to believe considering they were engaged. But, she didn't love her. And I know you think she needs to work through how she feels, but being with you for those three days is when she sorted herself out. It may look like she moved on from you, but she didn't. She was going through the motions, that's all."

Arizona starts shaking her head. "Addison, going through motions is one thing, but agreeing to marry her, that isn't just going through the motions."

"I get what you are saying. I do. But she wanted you to move on. She wasn't trying to keep you from doing that. She was lonely and Cam was there. You know, I know everyone at home probably tells you what you want to hear. Not me. I see someone who was hurt. You watched her walk away and try to move on and that makes you mad. It would me too. I can see why it hurts you. And you don't want to go through that again because it hurt like hell. I don't blame you for that either, you are allowed to be scared."

Arizona has tears falling now.

"But the thing is, is whether you want to admit it or not, you moved on too. You had a baby with the donor you both picked out. She hasn't said a bad word about it, but don't you think that hurts her. You are complaining that she moved on, well you did too. Just in a different way. You had a baby after refusing to sign divorce papers. You had baby without her for crying out loud, while still married, to her. That makes it her kid too and you didn't seem to think she had a right to know that. Biologically he isn't hers, but you are married and you kept that from her. I'd be pissed if I were her. But she feels so bad about what she did to you, that she will let you call the shots and do whatever you want because she doesn't feel like she has a right to be mad. Well, guess what, when she realizes that she does, don't go crying to anyone. Granted, you weren't with another woman, but what you did was wrong too. But everyone felt sorry for you and felt it was justified. That hardly makes it right."

"That's not the same thing. Having a baby and getting engaged to someone else are totally different."

"Boy, no wonder you guys can't get it together. You are both stubborn as hell. I'm not saying you did the exact same thing. What you did was different. What's the same is you moved on too, and you don't even realize it. But you are throwing her down the road for it... The only mistake she made as far as I can see, is not telling you the day she first got there."

"You're right, she should have told me. I wouldn't have ever had her stay if I had known."

"Well, I think it worked out exactly how it should have. Because you didn't know, you had her stay, and she realized she made the biggest mistake of her life. I mean, isn't that what you wanted?"

And another thing, for her to find out that you didn't tell her about being an author… I know it's not that big of a deal, but still, you are holding back stuff from her too. You are holding her to a different set of standards and that's not fair."

Arizona has tears falling down her face. She hadn't really looked at it like that before. "Maybe you are right..."

"She talked to me earlier. She has a plane ticket to fly down there this week, because you weren't answering her calls. She talked to me about quitting and moving back if you gave her another chance because she wouldn't expect you to uproot Zac. You are questioning what she wants, whether she knows what she wants or not. She knows. I think you need to figure out what you want now. Maybe she has screwed up, but you have too."

Arizona is still crying. The last thing she wants is to seem like a crying mess so she tries to pull herself together. "She is willing to give up what she has here?"

"She would give everything up for you. Like I said, Arizona, I don't know you, but I think you need to cut her some slack. She made mistakes, but she wants to fix them. The question is, are you going to let her?"

Addie pulls out a pen and paper. She scribbles something down and hands it to her.

"That's her address. If you decide to pull your head out of your ass, maybe you can try to not waste this trip."

Arizona takes the paper and looks at it. "Addie, I know I love her. I'm not questioning that. But she just told someone else she would spend her life with them. How am I not supposed to need some time?"

"I didn't mean to imply taking time was totally wrong. But, really, how much more time do you need? Don't you think you guys have wasted enough the way it is? Look, we have been here a while. Callie is likely already home. You do with the address what you want, but I need to go."

Arizona nods and stands to follow Addie out. When they get outside, Addie looks at her and says, " Arizona, I don't usually go all best friend mode, but I love her like a sister. And I actually think you and I could be friends too. But you guys need to sort this out. If you can't find it in you to forgive her, then end it. Tell her you are done. But don't string her along thinking there might be a chance."

Addie reaches out and gives her arm a light squeeze. They aren't close enough for a hug yet. Arizona nods and watches Addie walk away.

Arizona catches a cab back to her hotel room. As she walks in and sets her things down, she crawls on the bed with a box of tissues.

Addie was right. She didn't realize that she had moved on too, just in a different way. She had a right too, but not signing the divorce papers before she did it, didn't make her any different than Callie.

She stayed like that for a few hours. Crying. Crying for six years' worth of hurt. When she finally was able to stop, she felt disgusting so she decides to grab a shower. After showering, she looks in her carry on for her pajamas. When she goes to reach for them, she grabs her other change of clothes instead.

She gets dressed, combs her hair and pulls it back into a pony tail, gets her shoes on, grabs her key card and purse, and heads for the door.

She grabs a cab and directs them where to go. Within just a few minutes, she is at her destination. Arizona is let in by a doorman and is directed to where she wants to go.

She takes the elevator up 5 stories and then heads to apartment 502. She knocks and within a few seconds, Callie answers the door, and it is obvious she has been crying too. "Arizona…"

Arizona walks past her into the apartment without waiting for Callie to invite her in.

"You screwed up."

"Yeah, I'm well aware."

"But I screwed up too. And I haven't been fair to you," Arizona says as she walks over and takes Callie's hands in her own.

"I'm sorry Callie. I haven't been honest with you about things either. I didn't tell you about Zac, I kept the book thing from you... I know I have messed up too. And I'm sorry."

"Arizona, it's my fault. I don't blame you."

"If this is going to work at all, we need to talk. We need to not keep things in. You need to tell me when you are mad at me. You need to know it's _ok_ to be mad at me. You need to not be afraid to tell me how you feel about things."

"Wait, what are you saying?" Callie asks, hopefully. Praying that Arizona is about to say what she has been waiting to hear.

"I'm saying, if we are going to make this work, we need to be honest with each other. About everything. Even if it makes the other mad. You can't take the blame for everything Callie. You have to let me accept blame too."

"Are you saying what I think you are saying?" Callie asks with big tears in her eyes.

Arizona answers her by putting her hand behind Callie's neck and pulling her in for a kiss. The kiss deepens and before long, Arizona is backing Callie up to the couch. She pushes her down and then straddles her lap. They continue kissing until Callie pulls back.

"Arizona, I want this, so much. But I don't want to rush this. I need to prove to you that I'm in this. I love you and I'm sorry that I hurt you. I need you to know that."

"I do. Addie, she said..."

"Oh no... What did Addie do?"

Arizona laughs. "Honey, she didn't do anything wrong. She actually helped open my eyes a little bit. It's something I have needed for a while now."

"I told her I would need to leave here if you would give me another chance." Callie says as she rubs her hands along Arizona's thighs.

"Yeah. She told me." Arizona looks into Callie's eyes. "So, it's really over with Cameron?"

"It is. I love you, and I was so stupid and I can't tell you how sorry I am. I..." She is cut off with another kiss from Arizona.

"We need to quit apologizing. I know you are sorry. I'm sorry too, Callie. We both made mistakes. But, I'm ready. I'm ready to make this work. I'm ready to leave the past in the past."

Callie can't hold back any longer and pulls her down into another kiss. She stops and Arizona goes to protest but Callie puts a finger up to her lips.

"If we are going to do this, I'm going to take my wife to bed."

"Callie, you have no idea how long I have waited to hear that."

Callie pulls her up and leads her down the hall. She opens a door and allows Arizona to enter first. She walks up behind her and runs her hands up and down the sides of Arizona's arms. She takes a hand and moves Arizona's hair to one side of her neck while she leans in and starts placing kisses along the other side.

She stops long enough for Arizona to turn around and then she backs Arizona up to the bed. She nudges her to sit back and then pulls off her shoes. Once Arizona's shoes are on the floor, she gestures for her to scoot back farther onto the bed. She moves to lay down beside her and take in the sight before her.

"Arizona, I promise you, right now, that I will never leave you again. I can't change the past, but I will do my best to take care of you and Zac. I will probably mess things up, but please, don't give up on me. I love you so much and I will spend the rest of my life, trying to be everything you deserve. I love you..."

"I love you too. Make love to me."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The sun billowed in through the large windows, washing over them as they lay, tangled up in one another.

Arizona is laying on her stomach and the sheet is halfway down her back, exposing the most delicious looking skin Callie has ever seen. As she lies there, taking in the sight before her, she makes a vow to herself, to always love this woman. To always take care of every one of her needs. She needs has six years to make up for. She wants this to be a fresh start. As she is thinking, she has the most perfect idea pop into her mind.

She doesn't know for sure but would suspect that Arizona has a flight to catch this afternoon. Callie has a flight herself scheduled for tomorrow so maybe, just maybe she can talk Arizona into staying another day and flying back with her.

To put her plan for the day into motion, she quietly slips out of bed to grab her phone. She sends a quick text to Addie, and never one to disappoint, Addie responds quickly and promises to complete the task that was asked of her.

Callie quietly slips into the kitchen and fixes some coffee, while she makes some cinnamon toast, one of Arizona's favorites.

Quietly walking back into the bedroom, she sits the tray on the night stand and carefully slides into the position she just left.

Arizona stirs and looks over at Callie. The biggest smile Callie has ever seen is on display.

"Good morning, beautiful," Callie says as she leans in to give Arizona a kiss.

"Mmm, I always loved waking up like this," Arizona says, smiling into the kiss.

"Me too, honey, me too," Callie says before deepening the kiss. Callie finally pulls back, much to Arizona's disapproval.

"Why are you stopping?" Arizona pouts.

"Because, I'm not sure about you, but I didn't have dinner last night and I am starving."

"Yeah, I didn't either. What did you have in mind?"

"Just some coffee and cinnamon toast."

"Oh, that sounds good. I haven't had that in a while."

Callie reaches for the tray and gets them situated. She watches as Arizona takes a bite of her toast, and she realizes how many little things she used to enjoy with her, breakfast in bed being one of them.

"Do you have a flight today?"

"Um, yeah. It's at 3. Someone named Christina booked it for me."

"Yeah, that's Christina Yang. She fills in for Meredith if she has to be out for whatever reason. She is kind of a, how do I put it? A unique individual. Yeah, we will go with that," Callie says laughing.

"Weird?"

"I was trying to not say that, but, yeah. She works in the marketing side of things, and is actually pretty good with that. Every time she fills in for Meredith though, something happens. And I mean it. Every. Time."

"Sounds like you need a different fill in for Meredith."

"I know. Addie just does it to tick me off, I think," Callie says causing Arizona to laugh.

"So, I have an idea. But if you don't want to or can't, it is totally fine."

"What's that, Calliope?" Arizona leans over and lays her head on Callie's shoulder.

"Well, I have a ticket to fly down tomorrow. What if we change your ticket and we can just fly down together?"

"I don't know." Arizona raises her head from Callie's shoulder and looks at her.

"Oh, well, it's no big deal. I could just as easily change mine and fly out with you today. Unless, you just don't want me to fly back. I mean, I don't have to. I'm totally fine with staying home."

"Callie, don't do that."

"I'm just saying, I don't have to come. That's ok..." Callie says wondering what just happened.

"Callie, I mean, don't assume something. I wasn't saying 'I don't know' because I wasn't sure if I wanted to. I was saying it because I need to make sure someone can watch Zac. I'm pretty sure mom will, but if not, I'll need to check with your mom or Tim. That's all. I would actually love to have another night for just us."

"Oh. Ok then. That's good. We can call, and if you can't get someone to watch him, I'll change mine."

"That sounds good. I just know if we go back, I'll have a hard time getting you to myself. Like I said, Zac has missed you."

Callie nods. "I've missed him too. I didn't realize how attached you could get so quickly."

"It's easy to do."

"I know we have a lot to talk about still, but I want to move back Arizona. I know we can't do this long distance. But, how are you going to explain me being there to Zac? I mean, you said you only went out once. Does he even know you like girls?"

"Um, you know, it's never came up. I mean, I would say not. But that's just because there hasn't been a reason until now to have that conversation with him. But, I will talk to him. And, I'm sure he will be fine because he adores you just like his mommy does."

"I just don't want to come in and change things for him all of a sudden. I don't want him to resent me."

"Callie, kids are smarter than we give them credit for sometimes. He is very observant. He will see that mommy is happier when you are around. And that will make him happy. He just wants to be happy and feel loved. And that will only increase with you there. He will be just fine."

"Well, I hope you are right."

"I am. Hey, shouldn't you be getting ready for work? It's after 8."

"No, I've already texted Addie and taken the day off."

"That's awesome. Now, let me go grab my cel so I can call mom and see if she will watch him."

"I have mine right here if you want to use it."

"Yeah, that will be better than getting out of bed," Arizona smiles.

Callie hands her phone to Arizona and she calls her mom.

"Hey mom. How are things going? Oh, that's good. Oh, yeah, my phone died, I'm borrowing one. Um, sorry. I ended up going out with someone from the company and then I got back to my room late. Yeah, and then I just, well, I went to bed early. I knew you guys wouldn't be back from the park yet so I didn't call."

Callie listened and was't sure why Arizona was leaving some details out.

"So, I have a question. Something has come up and I need to spend an extra night tonight. Would you maybe be able to keep Zac an extra night? Really? Thanks mom. I appreciate it. Tell Zac I love him and I will call after his afternoon nap and talk to him. Yeah, ok.. Thanks mom. Bye."

"So, I'm just something that came up?" Callie asked, not sure why she wouldn't be honest about being with her.

Arizona sighs. "I didn't mean it that way, Calliope."

"That's kind of exactly what you just said though."

"I know that's what I said. Look, my mom, she is a little... upset. I'm sure you could tell at the party that she wasn't thrilled to see you. The Colonel surprised us all by not throwing you out. But he is also the more reasonable one between them. Mom is all… going into that protective mama bear mode. She needs to be told in person and not over the phone. I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to hide you."

Callie nods but doesn't say anything.

"Callie, I promise. I will sit down and have a conversation with her. I love you and I'm ready to to tell everyone that I have you back. But telling her over the phone would have been a hassle and turned into a morning long conversation. I want to spend my time here with you. Not trying to reason with her."

Sighing, Callie says, "I know, you're right. I knew at the party that she would be a challenge. She wouldn't even look at me."

"She will come around. I promise. She will see how happy Zac and I are, and she won't have any choice but to come around."

"I hope you are right."

"I am. So… what do you suppose we do with over 24 hours alone, Mrs. Torres?

"That's going to go back to Mrs. Robbins-Torres."

"Really?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't it?

"It's just, you obviously haven't used it in a while. I wasn't sure if you would want to."

"I do. More than you know. Now, I have something up my sleeve, but I may have intentionally not planned anything for about 4 hours. So, you have any suggestions of what to do until then? Callie asked wiggling her eyebrows.

"Well, what I have in mind only involves this bed and the shower that I assume is over behind that door."

"I like the way you think," Callie says as she sits up and puts the tray off to the side of the bed. She turns around and places her hand on Arizona's face and brushes her thumb across her cheek. She is then surprised by Arizona suddenly flipping them to where Callie is now directly below her."

"My, my… I think I like how you are thinking."

"Oh, Callie," Arizona says as she leans down to nibble on Callie's ear. You are going to do more than like it…" she says with a naughty smile.

"Wait, shoot... I need to get my stuff from the hotel room. Check-out is at 11."

"Already taken care of. I had Addie reserve it another night just for that reason. I didn't want to have to rush over there."

"Oh, you are a genius."

"I know. Now, where were we…" Callie says pulling Arizona back down to her and meeting her lips.

 _Several hours later_

"You know, that was a nice hotel room. I think I should pack my bags and come join you there tonight. That balcony was amazing."

"you know, that sounds like a good idea. Will seem like a getaway for both of us. Are all your authors put up in rooms that nice?"

"Only my favorite," Callie laughs. "Really though, no. Most are standard double rooms. I'm telling you, I love your work. And I can honestly say that. Especially since I didn't know it was you."

"Well, Bobbie Daniel appreciates it," Arizona laughs.

"Not that it matters, but the night Teddy asked if you told me about your contract, she wasn't really talking about the college, was she?"

"No."

"Why didn't you want me to know? I mean I know it's not like I deserved to know, but it just seems like you would have been proud of it."

"It's probably going to sound stupid to you."

"After all my stupid things I've had going on, I doubt it."

"I was afraid that if you found out, that you would think it was a good thing you left. That I had been more successful without you than if you had been with me. I just, I didn't want you to think I was better off. Because it is far from that. Being with you inspires me more than anything. I think I would be a better writer with you than without you. I just, I didn't want to give you a reason to not come home."

"I hate that you felt like you couldn't tell me. Because it is amazing what you have accomplished. I'm sorry you felt like you couldn't tell me the truth."

"We said we need to quit apologizing."

"It is kind of hard not to when I have been used to screwing everything up."

"Well, that stops now. Ok? We have a chance for a new start. So lets quit dwelling on the past."

They are walking through central park and Callie pulls Arizona over towards a bench. She sets the bag of food they stopped to grab on their way, in between them. She takes out a container and hands it to Arizona. She then pulls the other out for herself. Lastly, she hands one of the two bottles of tea to Arizona, along with a fork and napkin.

"Here we go. Lunch in Central Park. So many people try to take in a million restaurants and totally miss that this is the perfect place for lunch."

"I have to say, the view is amazing," Arizona says watching Callie."

"It is," Callie says smiling back at her, watching as Arizona takes her first bite.

"Oh my God, Callie, this is delicious. This is… this is amazing!"

"What did you expect? A good view with crappy food?" Callie asks laughing.

"Well, I didn't expect it to totally be crappy, but it did come from a food truck."

"Yes, but that food truck has happened to win several awards in the last year. People will come from all over the city to have something from that food truck."

"Well, I'm pleasantly surprised."

"Look at me.." Callie says. When Arizona turns around, Calie uses her napkin to wipe the corner of Arizona's mouth. "Sorry. You had a little bit of stuff there."

"No, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to be a slob. It's just so delicious."

"I knew you would love it. I would much rather hit the food truck and come sit here than go out to eat. This is the only place that doesn't have you surrounded by concrete. I bring a book and blanket and read here all the time."

"I can see you doing that. I would probably do the same thing."

They continued to eat and chat, just enjoying each other. After they finished eating, Callie decided to take Arizona to another one of her favorite places.

As they walked up outside a shop, Callie stops with an excited look on her face.

"What's this?"

"Well, this is my other favorite place in the city to come. It is a book store, if you can believe that. We use it a lot to introduce up and coming authors. The owner is amazing. Come on, I want you to meet her."

As they approach the counter, Arizona watches as the short lady behind the counter turns around and breaks into a wide smile.

"Callie! What a pleasant surprise! I don't get many visits from you during the day."

"Hey Bailey! I actually took the day off today."

"Is the world coming to an end? I've never known you to take a day off!"

"Well, it isn't every day I have a beautiful lady to spend it with," Callie says looking at Arizona.

"Arizona, this is Bailey, Bailey, this is Arizona. My wife."

"What? Callie Torres, you finally smartened up? I've been waiting for you to do that for years!"

Bailey holds her hand out across the counter for Arizona to shake.

"Arizona, it is wonderful to finally meet you. I can't tell you how happy it makes me, to see that smile on her face. I knew there would be a beautiful one there if she ever got around to showing it." Bailey gives Callie a wink as she turns back to Arizona.

"So, you managed to get her to smile like this and get her to take a day off work. You must be something pretty special."

"Oh, I don't know about that."

"Oh, I do," Callie volunteers. "She is amazing Bailey."

Callie turns to Arizona. "Remember when I told you someone recommended the Bobbie Daniel books to me?"

"Yeah, you mentioned that," Arizona smiled.

"Well, that very person happens to be miss Bailey, here. She was the original fan."

"That, I did. Wonderful books."

"Well, Bailey, as you know, we signed her to a five year contract. And that's all because of you, really. But… what you don't know, is that Bobbie Daniel is a pen name, for Arizona Robbins-Torres."

"Wait, what? Are you you serious?"

"As a heart attack Bailey. So, I just wanted to come and introduce you. She wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for you making me read her books. So, thank you."

"Well, I don't see a reason to thank me. Miss Arizona here is a wonderful writer, but I'm sure you would have ended up together again anyway."

"Maybe. But her being here for this trip, it really helped."

"Well, then I feel like I accomplished something pretty important," Bailey said smiling.

"Well, I hate to rush off and we have less than 24 hours now to squeeze things in. I just wanted you to meet her."

"I'm thrilled you stopped by. Arizona, it was a pleasure to meet you."

"Same here," Arizona said smiling.

"Well, we are heading out. Talk to you soon Bailey!"

"You better!" Bailey yelled as they were walking out.

They exited the shop and walked quietly for a few minutes before Arizona asked a question.

"So, Bailey… she knew about me?"

"Um, yeah. She did. I spent so much time in there the past several years. She has a way of prying information out of you. The government could really use her," Callie laughs.

"She claims she isn't nosey, but she is one of the biggest busy bodies you will ever meet. BUT, she always keeps it to herself. She doesn't spread the gossip. Probably why I felt comfortable talking to her."

"She seems like a nice lady."

"So, Arizona. I have to ask. Will you go out with me tonight?"

Arizona comes to a stop and pulls Callie closer. "I would love to go out with you tonight. But, I don't have anything to wear."

"Well, what you have on is just fine. Because, I don't plan on you having it on for long!" Callie leans in and captures Arizona's lips.

A few hours later, they have arrived back at Callie's apartment. They did some window shopping and Arizona needed to grab another outfit since she hadn't planned on staying an extra night.

"How about I go pack a bag? I'll go ahead and grab what I need for the weekend and won't even need to come back here tomorrow."

"Sounds good Calliope."

Callie gives her a kiss before walking back to her bedroom to get her things ready.

While Callie is packing, she decides to call and check on Zac. She calls and her mom answers right away.

" _Hello, dear. How has your day been?"_

" _It's been good. Really good."_

" _Have you been working?"_

" _Um, I've been with the editor. She took me to meet the lady who introduced her to my books. We also discussed my writing some more (that isn't a lie, she tells herself). So anyway, how is my little man?"_

" _He is wonderful. We went and had lunch at the diner so Lucy treated him with some ice cream. I think she spoils him too much. I almost wish we would have went somewhere else."_

" _Mom, I give him ice cream all the time. That's hardly spoiling him."_

Arizona knows that this has more to do with Callie than the ice cream. But, she lets it go for now.

" _So, is he there? I'd love to talk to him."_

After finishing her conversation with her mom and Zac, Callie has finished packing and is walking back into the living room.

"Hey beautiful."

"I don't hold a candle to you," Callie says sitting her bags down and walking towards Arizona.

Arizona smiles as she kisses Callie and pulls her in to deepen it.

"I was thinking… Callie says pulling back."

"Oh." Arizona looks at her, almost fearing what she is going to say. Lately not much good comes from her thinking.

"It's just, we haven't talked a lot about what we are going to do. I was just thinking… when I come back, I need to figure out what to do with this stuff. But then I thought maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. Maybe you don't want me to come home just yet."

"Are you serious? Why wouldn't I?"

"Arizona, I know you want me home, but I don't expect for you to just take me back like nothing happened. I mean, I didn't know if you wanted me to really move back in with you or maybe just stay with my parents for a while…"

"Callie, if we are going to make this work, we can't hold back. I. Want. You. Home. I want to go to bed with you, wake up with you, have a little boy come crawl in between us because he had a bad dream. Oh god, I didn't… Callie, I didn't even ask what you thought about living with me and Zac. Maybe you aren't ready to have to be around him all the time. Maybe you need to warm up to being there." Arizona starts crying. "Maybe you don't want that at all, maybe you just thought you did and…" she says as she holds onto Callie, crying.

"Arizona, honey. Stop. Please don't cry. Listen to me," she says as she pulls back so Arizona can see her.

"You two are a package deal. And I wouldn't want it any other way. That little boy had me wrapped around his finger from the moment I met him. It didn't take me but a few hours to fall head over heels for that little guy. I wouldn't ask about moving in if I wasn't ready for all of it. I am all in, Arizona. For all of it. Bad dreams, tantrums, sitting up with him because he has a tummy ache. I'm ready for all of it. I just wanted us to be on the same page. But it's kinda nice to know I'm not the only one having mini panic attacks," Callie says smiling as she pulls Arizona in for a hug.

"I'm sorry. I was trying to put your fears at rest and mine got the better of me."

"It won't be the last time. But we will work through it. Any and all of it, I promise. I love you."

"I love you too," Arizona smiles.

"So, I am moving home?"

"You are moving home," Arizona says smiling.

"Music to my ears. Now, let's get back to your room and drop this off and then… " Callie says as she gives her a kiss. "Then we can begin our date."

"Sounds good to me. I can't wait to see what you have planned."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"So, why won't you tell me where we are going?"

"Because then it wouldn't be a surprise. You know how those work don't you?"

"Yeah. I'm not 12."

"Really? I couldn't tell" Callie says laughing.

"Oh, shut up!" Arizona says playfully punching Callie on the arm.

"Just sit back and enjoy the lights. A lot of people like the sights of New York during the day. Me, I love the nights. It's beautiful. Almost like Christmas as lit up as things are."

"You know, you are so right. It is beautiful." Arizona smiles looking out the window.

Currently, the two women are taking a cab to an unknown location. Callie sits with her hand resting on Arizona's thigh, rubbing circles with her thumb. A few minutes later, they come to a stop in from of what looks to be a run down building.

They hop out of the cab and Arizona looks around. "You brought me to a bar? We need to teach you how to take better advantage of alone time," Arizona smiles as she squeezes Callie's hand.

"What? Not romantic enough for you?"

"Um. It just isn't what I was expecting."

Callie laughs as she says, "Oh, come on Arizona. Anything with the two of us can be romantic. You just have to have faith." She takes Arizona's hand and winks at her as she leads her inside. Waiting right inside the door for them, is Addie.

"Hey Addie," Callie says smiling.

"Hey you two. My goodness, we look a lot happier than we did the last time I saw you. It looks good on you. Both of you."

"I should thank you," Arizona says. "You gave me a much-needed eye opener. I can't say I was fond of it at the time, but you were right. Callie is lucky to have you as a best friend."

"Well, it's not like I gave her a real choice in the matter, but we will still say she is lucky," Addie smirks.

Arizona looks around and it is exactly what she expected, judging from the outside. "It really is just a bar," she says.

Laughing, Callie looks at Addie. "This one is pretty observant, huh? She doesn't think this place can be romantic."

"Oh, is that right? Well, we'll see what she says in a little bit." Addie winks and hands Callie a key. "Well, my work here is done. I'll see you guys later. I'm going to go meet Jake for drinks. We are headed to "The Hollow" if you want to join us later."

"Thanks Addie, for everything. We will have to see about joining you later, but thanks for the invite."

"Anytime. Bye guys."

"See ya."

Callie turns to Arizona. "So, you ready to come with me?"

"I'm _always_ ready to _come_ with you," Arizona purrs into Callie's ear, causing Callie to throw her had back in laughter.

"You are so bad," Callie says, not able to stop laughing.

"Only when I'm with you," Arizona winks.

"Come on," Callie grabs her hand and leads her through the crowd to a back door, where there is an elevator. She hits the button for the top floor. Once they get to the floor, she uses the key Addie gave her for the only door there.

When she opens the door and Arizona walks through, she sees the most beautiful sight. Tea lights have been placed all over the top of the roof, with a few lanterns. A small table is set up and covered plates await them, along with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"Calliope! It's beautiful. I mean, really beautiful. I can't believe you did this!"

"So, you like it?"

"Calliope, I love it."

"Good. You can see the Empire State Building over there all lit up. I just think it is beautiful up here."

"How did you find out about it?"

"One of our authors owns it. He bragged about his view for ages. Says he comes up here and can write for hours. Eventually he drug Addie and I out to see it. We fell in love with it. So, when I was thinking this morning about what to do, this came to mind. I texted Addie to get ahold of him and fix it up a little for us."

"She really is a good friend to you. I'm glad you have her."

"Me too. Anyway, come on. Hopefully she was able to grab the food I was asking her about."

They walk to the table and Callie pulls out Arizona's seat. Addie had texted her earlier to make sure Callie knew how things were arranged so she knew how to go about things as they arrived on the roof. As Arizona sits down, Callie takes a deep breath. She reaches over and pulls the cover off of Arizona's dish. Arizona gasps as she sees what's on her plate.

"Calliope..."

Callie reaches for the box that is laying there and gets down on one knee.

"Arizona..." Callie reaches for her hand as Arizona's other hand goes to cover her mouth.

"Arizona, watching you this morning, I realized that even though I still had questions about what we were going to do, how we were going to do things, I knew that no matter how we decided to go about things, that I was ok with it. And I know we will probably both have mini panic attacks like earlier, but after what we have been through, I wouldn't expect any less. But, I… I want this to be a fresh start. I told you I want to fix everything that I messed up. I messed up our marriage and I want to make it right. So, I think we need a fresh start, a new beginning. I want to make a new commitment to you. I want you to know how serious I am about us. I love you and Zac. There is no doubt about that in my mind. I want you to know how _in_ _this_ I am. Arizona, we have wasted so much time and as I was watching you this morning, I realized I don't want to waste anymore. I know it's quick, and you might think it's too soon, but I don't need any more time. I need you to know, I'm not leaving you ever again. And I know my words have failed you before. My actions have failed you before, and I regret all the hurt I have caused. I have lived life with you and without you, and my life without you was heartbreaking. I'm not leaving you again."

Arizona has tears falling down her face and she is frantically trying to wipe them away.

"So, I thought I would give you a symbol of my promise, to love you and Zac, to always be there for you. Like I said yesterday, I know I will mess up, but this is my promise to you, that if I do, I will fix it. Just, please don't give up on me. I love you, so much. So, Arizona Robbins-Torres, will you marry me, again?"

"Yes, yes!" Arizona says, pulling Callie in for the most passionate kiss they have ever shared.

"I can't believe you did this Callie."

Callie looks at Arizona's hand and slides the other rings off her hand and places the new diamond on her left finger. She replaces the wedding band and then puts the old diamond ring on Arizona's right hand.

"Calliope, it's beautiful. So beautiful."

"I think so too."

"Wait… did you have Addie go pick this out today?"

"No. I picked it out a few weeks ago. I just hadn't told anyone. Not even Addie. So I called the jeweler this morning and let them know Addie would be picking it up."

"Callie, I don't know what to say. You knew a couple of weeks ago you wanted to do this?

"I told you Arizona, I didn't need time. Those three days with you were all I needed."

"You just, you don't know how lucky and blessed I feel right now. I never thought we would get this chance again. And to be here, with you right now, and you doing this... I feel like the luckiest girl in the world."

"No, the luckiest girl in the world would be me. That you have given me another chance. I promise I will try my hardest to be everything you need."

"Calliope, I love you. So Much," she leans in for another kiss. "So are we really going to renew our vows?"

"Arizona, I wouldn't ask you to marry me again if I didn't plan on that. I want to do it in front of our family and friends. I want them to know that I am not going anywhere and that I plan on spending the rest of my life making things up to you."

"Callie, I have told you. We need to leave it all where it's at. It's over. We survived. That's what matters."

"I know, but…"

"Calliope, let's just focus on our future."

"Ok."

"Now, please tell me there is food on your plate under your cover, because I'm starving."

"Actually, no. But, I do have the best pizza in New York in a box over here," Callie laughs while walking to grab the pizza. "I mean, don't get me wrong, New York pizza isn't all it's cracked up to be. This just happens to be my favorite out of what is here."

After the pizza is gone and the wine bottle is almost empty, the two decide to leave. Callie makes sure all the candles are out and Addie will be back tomorrow to take care of things.

"So, where to now?" Arizona asks.

"Well, I didn't know how long we would be here and I didn't want to rush, so I didn't plan on anything else, other than going back to the room," she says wiggling her eyebrows. But, is there anything else you want to do?"

"The place Addie was talking about…The Hollow. What's that?"

"It's a club she likes to go to. It's kind of got a retro feel going on. They play a lot of 80's stuff."

"How about we go?"

"What?"

"Look, with you coming home, you won't get a chance to just hang out with her very often. And, we have good news. I thought maybe you would want to share with her."

"That, Arizona, isn't a very romantic way to spend our evening."

"Well, I didn't say we would be there all evening. Just for a little bit."

"Are you sure?"

"Are you ashamed of me Calliope?"

"Are you kidding? No way in hell am I ashamed."

"I didn't think so," Arizona said smiling. "So let's go. And then… my lady, you have a long night ahead of you."

"Then what are we waiting for…"

Arizona throws her head back laughing as Callie abruptly pulls them towards the door.

About twenty minutes later, they are outside The Hollow. They get inside and find Addie with her date, Jake.

"What are you two doing here? I figured you wouldn't be able to walk by now."

"Addison!"

This causes Arizona to laugh, especially as she takes in Callie's shocked expression.

"What's wrong babe? She embarrassing you?"

"Not me. But I don't want her to embarrass you!"

"Calliope, it will take a whole lot more than that to embarrass me. Besides, by tomorrow morning, I do plan on having you walk funny," Arizona says, laughing even harder.

This in turn causes Addie to laugh hysterically. Through tears, she says, "I'm really liking her Cal!"

"I bet you are. So, this thing happened tonight," Callie elaborates as she holds Arizona's hand out for Addie and Jake to see.

"Well, congratulations!" Addie jumps up to go give Callie a hug. She looks at Arizona and says, "What the hell. You may as well get used to my hugs too!" She leans across Callie to give Arizona a quick hug.

"Just don't grab anything you shouldn't by accident!" Callie laughs.

"Hey, that was two whole weeks ago! Can we not bring that up?"

"No, I have to bring it up. Jake, did she tell you about accidentally groping a client?" Callie asks, laughing.

Jake turns to look at Addie. "What's that all about? Do I not have enough for you?" He laughs rubbing his chest.

Everyone starts laughing.

"It's not like that. We have this client that we have had for years. She came in for a meeting with Callie and I wanted to stop and see her. So, I walked into Callie's office and the client had her little puppy with her. Well, I didn't see it, because, who brings their puppy to meetings with them? So, I walk towards her and this puppy, that I didn't see, heads straight for my feet, trips me, and I fall into the chair on top of Denise. Which, that is bad enough, but I put my arms out to break my fall and ended up with one hand on each boob."

Everyone is laughing so hard. "All because of a little puppy?" Arizona laughs.

"It was a miniature something or other. It was so tiny! I just totally missed it and when it headed towards me, my feet had a mind of their own."

"So, how did Denise react to you copping a feel?" Jake inquires.

"Well, I've never seen a face that red before. She tried to play it off though like it was no big deal," Addie said.

"That's what you think. I'm not sure she is straight anymore. She has texted me about you four times since then," Callie offers and everyone laughs harder if that's even possible.

"Ok, enough giving me crap. So, you guys are going to renew your vows? That is very romantic. And here you thought a bar couldn't be romantic?" Addie points toward Arizona.

"I know. I was proven wrong. I will happily acknowledge that too." Arizona leans over and gives Callie a kiss.

"Well, how about I go get my wife a drink?" Callie offers.

"Actually, you stay here and chat with Addie. I'll go grab something for us."

"Are you sure? I can do it."

"Yes, Calliope. You stay and talk. I'll just be a minute."

"Ok, I love you."

"I love you too," Arizona leans in to give Callie a kiss before she leaves.

"Get a room you two!" Addie yells.

"We have one. And as soon as we have this drink, we are going to make use of it!"

Addie watches Callie as her eyes follow Arizona. "It's good to see you like this. This is what a couple in love looks like. I see now, how forced it was with Cameron. I'd ask you what you were thinking, but I already know that you weren't thinking. I'm glad you have things figured out though. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks," Callie smiles. "I'm moving home Addie. When I get back from the weekend there, I'm going to come back and get things sorted. We can talk about what you want to do as far as work. But you need to be honest with me. If me working from home will be too hard for the company, I could just quit."

"Callie, I told you. You can work from there. I have even thought about it more, and I think we _should_ open an office down there. Maybe we can even find something around where her college is. That way you are working in the same area."

"Addie, are you sure?"

"Yep. I'm positive. We knew we were going to open another one. This just gives us a direction to head in. Let's face it, not everyone likes flying into New York. This will give them options now."

"Thank you, Addie. Thank you for everything. It means so much to me."

"I wonder where Arizona is? I thought she would be back by now," Callie says trying to peer through the crowd to look for her. "I'm going to go look for her."

Over by the bar, Arizona is patiently waiting for their drink order. It's been a few minutes now and she is anxious to get back to Callie. All of a sudden, she feels someone come up beside her and sit on the stool next to her.

"Hey there, beautiful."

Arizona turns to take in the woman sitting next to her. She is surprised to find that she recognizes her but doesn't let on to that fact."

"Hello," Arizona offers, then turns back away. Her stomach is starting to form knots at this point.

"I noticed you walking over to the bar. Are you alone?"

"Yeah, definitely not alone."

"Well, I can always offer you an alternative," the woman says with a sly smile. She takes her hand and starts to move it towards Arizona's hand after Arizona turns her head away. Before she touches Arizona's hand, a voice clears behind them.

"Hm, mm. What the hell do you think you are doing Cameron?"

Cameron turns to looks at Callie and fails at acting surprised to see her. "Callie…I didn't even see you here."

"Oh, I'm sure. You just happened to pick her out of the crowd? Nice try. Go find someone else to bother. Leave her alone. Come on Arizona, we don't need the drinks that bad." Callie tries to remove Arizona from the situation as quickly as she can, but Cam can't let it go that easily.

"Well, I didn't mean to run you off. I see you already have a replacement, though. What's your wife have to say about that?"

Cameron looks from Arizona to Callie, thinking she is going to surprise the blonde woman and catch her off guard.

Arizona in turn, surprises Cameron by saying, "Her wife is actually all for it."

"Oh, I'm sure. Callie here is probably still sneaking around behind her back. She has been pretty good at that the past couple of years, apparently."

"Cameron, that's enough. Come on honey," Callie grabs Arizona's hand and starts to walk away.

Before they can get too far, Cameron mumbles, "Cheater."

That's all it takes before Arizona stops in her tracks, whips around, and smacks Cameron hard across the face."

"You obviously don't know what the hell you are talking about. If I EVER hear you call my _wife_ another name again, you will have more than a smack coming."

With that, Arizona grabs Callie's hand and leads them back to their table, leaving Cameron to hold the side of her hand marked face.

"Arizona…" Callie says once they are away from Cameron.

"Callie, I don't want to talk about it right now."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know she would be here."

Arizona stops and turns to face Callie. "Callie, I love you. I just don't want to talk about it right this second. Ok?"

"Ok. If that's what you want. I…"

"Callie, we will talk later."

Callie nods, looking down. "Ok."

As they sit back down, Addie notices the expression on their faces. "Um, everything ok, you two? Where are your drinks?"

"We left them." Callie looks to Arizona to gauge her reaction. "Um, Cameron was up there. Hitting on Arizona."

"Oh, shit. What the hell? I had no idea she was here or I would have texted you. She hasn't been here in ages."

"Yeah, I didn't think anything at all about her being here."

Noticing a change of subject would be needed, Addie says, "So, you leave at noon tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Callie nods. "We need to be at the airport by ten. Then I will be back Sunday night. I'll probably start packing and getting things ready to go as soon as I get back."

Callie glances over at Arizona but she doesn't say anything. "I need to get back home as soon as I can."

That brings a small smile to Arizona's face and it makes Callie feel somewhat better about the current tense mood between them.

"You know what, just thinking about it is making me tired. You ready to go Arizona?"

"Yeah. Sure. Whenever you are."

Callie gets up and holds her hand out for Arizona. They get up and say their goodbyes to Addie and Jake, then make their way outside.

Arizona knows that Callie isn't going to give her a lot of time before she wants to talk about what just happened.

She isn't upset with Callie. More upset with the situation. And, maybe, a little jealous. She had known who Cam was from tv, but actually seeing her in person, she felt somewhat intimidated by her.

Arizona always considered herself an attractive woman. But every now and then, someone could make her doubt herself. Cam was one of those people. Arizona wondered, for the first time, why Callie hadn't slept with the woman. Tim told her what Callie had said about not sleeping with her. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out why she hadn't.

They grab a cab and the ride back to the hotel is silent. Callie keeps her hand on Arizona's thigh, to maintain some type of closeness.

After making it back to the room, Arizona excuses herself to get changed. Callie is somewhat disappointed because she had packed things for a candlelit bubble bath, but she doesn't say anything.

A few minutes later, Arizona comes out and Callie decides she may as well go ahead and get ready for bed too.

"I'll be right back," the brunette says as she walks into the bathroom with her bag. Deciding she is not going to let Cameron ruin what was a perfect night, she decides to go ahead and run the bubble bath. She warms the water and pours the bubble bath in. She sets up the tea lights around the edge.

She decides to take things a step further and proceeds to undress. She puts on the robe that is hanging beside the tub and walks out to see Arizona looking out the window, with her back facing her.

As she nears her, she takes her arms and secures them around Arizona's mid-section. She gets as close as she possibly can and rests her chin on Arizona's shoulder.

"I know you are probably mad and upset, and I don't blame you. I just don't want that to ruin our perfect evening. Will you please come take a bubble bath with me? I have the water already run and candles already lit. It would be a shame for it to go to waste."

Arizona turns around in her arms and studies her face. "You know, I'm not mad at you. You can't help that she was there. It just kind of took me by surprise. I knew about her, but to come face to face with the woman you spent years with, it just, it hurts. And I know you didn't really love her. But, it just made me think of all the time you probably spent in her arms. I just, she is so pretty and obviously somewhat intelligent to have the job she has, and you were with her for so long. And then there's me, and maybe I'm not enough for you."

"Arizona Robbins-Torres, you are the most beautiful woman in the world. I won't lie... Is she pretty? Yeah. There are a lot of pretty people in the world. But Arizona, no one even holds a candle to you. I know you will have a hard time believing me, but it doesn't matter to me if everyone else would think she is the prettiest woman in the world... she isn't to me. You are. Cameron likes to think we had this great thing, but Arizona, I promise you, we didn't. There weren't all these intimate moments shared. I never even slept with her. I couldn't. She didn't like it, but I didn't care. She could have walked away and it wouldn't have mattered to me… I don't know what I was thinking. Arizona, you will always be enough for me. You are more than enough. You complete me in ways that I never thought possible. Don't EVER doubt that you are enough for me. I love you Arizona."

"I love you too. I'm sorry, for wigging out again."

"I think if we have learned anything today, it's that we love each other so much, but we both have some insecurities that are still there. We will work through them Arizona. We just need to communicate. We both work with words all day long, it should be easy for us, right?"

Arizona smiles. "You would think so. I just thought after you gave me the ring, those insecurities would somehow just go away."

"We both know it doesn't work like that. But as long as we talk about them, we can get through them." Callie says pulling her in for a hug.

After a few minutes of just holding one another, Arizona pulls Callie towards the bathroom. "How about you lead me to that warm bubble bath before it gets too cold?"

"Oh, that would be my pleasure." Callie smiles.

"Oh, Calliope... you are going to be pleasured all right. All. Night. Long."

They both giggle as they make their way to the bathroom.

Callie helps Arizona out of her clothes. "It amazes me how having a baby didn't change your figure at all. It just made you more beautiful."

"Yeah, I don't know about that," Arizona laughs. I can't get rid of the last ten pounds. And I've tried.

"I don't ever want you to lose them. You are beautiful. Your curves are amazing. I just can't believe how pregnancy made you more beautiful than you already were. I didn't think it would be possible.

"Callie, you need to stop," Arizona says bashfully.

"Never." Callie pulls her into a kiss as Arizona works to untie Callie's robe.

When they are both undressed, Callie holds Arizona's hand as they walk toward the tub. Callie gets in first and then Arizona gets in and leans back against her, as Callie wraps her arms around her.

"I want to do this every night," Callie whispers into her ear, causing goosebumps to erupt all over Arizona's body. She then leans down towards Arizona's neck and plants small kisses all over.

"Oh, Callie… the things you do to me."

"Oh, I plan on doing things to you all night long…"


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Callie and Arizona had a wonderful end to their roller coaster of a day yesterday. Both women realize there are insecurities, but are determined to work through whatever comes.

As the 'fasten seat belt sign comes on' as they make their descent towards home, Arizona reaches over and grabs Callie's hand.

"You know, I think that the 'fasten seat belt' sign applies to us to."

"What? How's that?"

"Just that, our little bubble is about to get popped. Not that someone didn't try to deflate it last night, but, we aren't going back to where everyone is going to be all for us being back together. It might cause a few bumps, but I know if we hold on, we will make it past them."

"And... you are talking about your mom." Callie didn't phrase it as a question. She knew who she was referring to.

"Well… yeah. And you never know, we might hit another few bumps all on our own. I just want you to know, I'm not going anywhere either. I love you Calliope."

"I love you too." Callie leans towards Arizona's ear and says, "So pretty lady, any chance you can do that one thing you did last night again, tonight" wiggling her eyebrows as she says it causing Arizona to laugh.

"You mean the one thing, with the…"

"Oh yeah. That one," Callie giggles.

"I might be able to arrange that," Arizona gives her a small kiss, smiling. "I know you are going to get tired of hearing this, but I've missed this. Just being able to flirt with you and the easiness we do it with. It just doesn't even take work. It just, happens. It makes me fall more and more in love with you. It's just, the little things, you know?"

"I know exactly what you mean. So don't be afraid to tell me what you have missed. But, I also know there will he things you haven't missed, like my snoring," Callie laughs. "So don't be afraid to tell me what those things are either, if I do them."

"Calliope, there isn't anything about you I haven't missed."

"I'm sure." Callie says laughing. "Let's see what you say here in a few months!"

Two hours later, they are pulling back into town. It's late afternoon and they need to get Zac from Barbara. "So, I was thinking, maybe it's best if you don't come with me to get Zac."

"Oh. Ok. Um, you can just drop me off and mom and dad's if you want."

"It's not that I don't want you to come. It's just, I should probably talk to mom without you there. I know she won't be very nice if you walk in with me."

"It's fine. I get it."

"Are you sure? You seem kind of upset."

"I'm upset at the situation. Not at you. I promise."

Arizona drops Callie off at her parents' house with a promise of being back as soon as she can, then head to get Zac. Walking into her parents' house, she is met by her son running down the hallway.

"Mommy!"

"Hey buddy! I missed you so much!" Arizona covers his little cheeks in kisses as he laughs. "I missed that little laugh!"

"Arizona, glad you are back," Barbara says moving in to give her daughter a hug.

"Thanks mom."

"Little man, why don't you go get your stuff gathered up. I need to talk to granny for a minute."

As Arizona puts Zac down, Barbara catches sight of Arizona's hand.

"Arizona, what is that?"

"Um, that's actually what I want to talk to you about..." Arizona contemplates the best tactic to take. She decides being straightforward is the best approach.

"Can we sit down?" Arizona asks, she knows this will take a while.

"Come on..." Her mom motions for Arizona to head to the living room.

After they are seated, Barbara looks at Arizona with a rather unpleasant look. "Go ahead. We don't have all day, dear."

"Um, here's the thing. When I was in New York, it turns out that my editor, was Callie. I signed with the publishing company she works for, Bellas Historias. I had been putting it off, because I needed just a little time, but we talked. We are back together. We decided that we have wasted too much time, so we aren't waiting any longer. It's for good this time."

"Yeah, that's what she said when you married her. That this was supposed to be 'for good' Arizona."

"Mom, you don't have to like this. But we are back together. She actually asked me to marry her again. You know, to renew our vows. And I said yes."

"Arizona..."

"Mom, stop. I love her. And yes, we BOTH made mistakes, but"

"Arizona, she left you! When she needed to be here for you, she just left. That's more than a mistake."

"No, it's just a mistake mom. We have talked about it and we have moved past it."

"Of course, she has. She wants to move past it and make you forget she was engaged to someone else! I mean, did she actually end things with her? Because they just announced to the world only a month ago they were getting married."

"She ended it the night she got home from here."

"Arizona, does it really not bother you that she was with someone else?"

"Mom, it does. But it also wasn't what you think it was."

"Why, because she says so? She says the woman meant nothing to her and now she wants you back, and you are just going to believe her? Arizona, we raised you to be smarter than that."

"Apparently you taught me to think for myself. To trust my instincts… Mom, she knows she has made mistakes. But, I did too. I had a baby and refused to sign divorce papers. And everyone here just cheered me on. I wasn't handling things any better than she was."

"Arizona, that's different and you know it. Leaving your wife and getting engaged to someone else… that is not the same as having a baby."

"I didn't say it was the same. I said it didn't make me any better."

Zac comes running back in with his little bag. "I'm ready to go, mommy!"

"Hey buddy," Arizona says, standing to pick Up Zac.

"I'm not going to argue mom. This is what I want. She is who I want. She is here for the weekend and then she is going back to pack her things. She is going to be back in a few weeks, for good."

"Arizona…"

"Mom, we are done talking about this for now. I will not discuss it in front of Zac. This is what I want. She is what makes me happy. And it will be what's best for Zac too. You don't have to like it but you need to respect my wishes." Knowing it's time to stop the conversation, she looks at Zac and says, "Tell granny bye, we have to leave."

"Bye, granny!"

"Bye sweetheart. Granny loves you."

"Love you too," Zac says as he blows her a kiss.

"Come on Zac…" Arizona carrie's Zac and picks up his bag. "We'll see you later mom. I love you."

"I love you too Arizona."

Barbara watched as her daughter walks away. She isn't happy with her daughter's decision in the slightest.

After Arizona and Zac arrive at Callie's parents', she gets Zac out of the car.

"Why are we going to see abuela and abuelo?"

"Well, they aren't even here. They are both at work. But, there is a surprise here waiting!"

"What is it mommy?"

As she opens the door, Callie is walking towards them.

The minute he sees her, he is scrambling to get out of Arizona's arms and get to Callie.

"Callie! You came back!"

Callie picks him up as he crashes into her legs.

"Hey Buddy!"

"Callie, I missed you!"

Callie's heart just melts. This little boy can make everything else in the world seem so unimportant.

"I missed you too. More than you know," Callie says as she gives him a hug.

Arizona has everything she could want right here. A month ago, this was a dream that she wished for, to have Callie decide to stay. Today, it's a dream come true.

"Callie, are you going to stay with us again?" Zac looks at her with those big blue eyes that she just knows, will get her in trouble with Arizona. Because she knows as sure as she is standing here, she won't be as strong as Arizona on that front and be able to tell him no.

"Is it ok if I stay with you?"

"Yeah!" Zac yells.

"Alright then, we ready to go?"

"Don't you want to wait and see your parents?"

"I called mom and she is still going to be a while, so she said not to wait for her or dad."

"Well, do you want to stop at the diner to eat? That way you can see her."

"I appreciate the offer, but what I would really like, is to go home. We can see them tomorrow." Callie smiles reaching over to grab onto Arizona's hand.

"Calliope… I love the sound of that," Arizona says smiling. She walks up to Callie and Zac and gives them birth a hug.

"Let's go home."

All smiles, they all head to the car, and for the first time in a long time, they make their way home.

Arriving home, they start to grab some of the luggage, and all three of them head inside the house. Walking in this time is much different that the last time Callie was here. Arizona takes Zac and puts him on the couch, asking if he would like to watch something while she figures out what they are going to have for dinner.

When she walks back in towards the door, Callie is walking back in with the last of the luggage.

"Hey there. Is that it?"

"Yep. It's not that we had much, it was just awkward."

Callie sits the bag down and Arizona puts her arms around Callie's neck.

"Where is Zac?" Callie asks, looking around.

"He's watching tv."

"So, what are you doing in here, beautiful?"

"I came in to see about what to fix for dinner. But, since you are here, I want to officially welcome you… home," Arizona says as she pulls Callie in for a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too," Callie says as she smiles into the kiss.

It starts to get heated but Callie pulls back, much to Arizona's dismay.

"We should stop. What if Zac comes in?" Callie asks.

"Oh, you are probably right. I should probably go talk to him that way he understands what is going on. I don't want to have to sneak around."

"Are you telling him we are married or just that I'll be moving in or that we are girlfriends?"

"Um, I'm not sure. I mean, he is only three, so I don't know that he will really understand much of the wife concept. But, what he will understand is that you are going to live with us, and that I love you," Arizona says kissing Callie, "and that he will probably see us giving each other hugs and kisses," she finishes as she gives Callie another kiss.

"I think that's the perfect way to explain it. When do you want to tell him?"

"How about this… what if I go talk to him and see if he has any questions, and then you can maybe rummage through the kitchen and fix something for dinner?"

"Ok. I think that sounds good. Anything in particular you want?"

"Nope. Surprise me." Arizona smiles, gives Callie a pat on the butt, then makes her way into the living room.

Arizona sits down beside Zac and turns the tv off.

"Mommy! I was watching that!"

"I know little man, but mommy wants to talk to you about something. Ok?"

"OK." Poor Zac isn't real impressed with him mom right now, but crawls into her lap to listen to what she has to say.

"So, Callie is going to stay with us for a few days, how does that sound?"

"I like it when she stays! Maybe we can go to the waterpark again! Can we?"

"Well, maybe not this trip. She will be here for a few days, then she is going to go back to her house and get some of her things, and then she will be back again. But when she comes back, she is going to stay with us for a long time. What do you think of that?"

"I love it! And then can we go to the waterpark?"

"Kid, you have a one-track mind..." Arizona says as she laughs. "We will be able to go again some time. We will have to figure something out though. I just don't know when."

"Ok," Zac says, sounding a little disappointed to have to wait.

"So, Zac. There is one more thing. You know how mommy loves you a whole bunch?"

"Yep! And I love you too mommy!"

"I know you do. You know, mommy loves Callie too. And just like I give you hugs and kisses on the cheek, mommy will probably be giving Callie hugs and kisses too."

"You going to kiss Teddy too?"

Laughing, Arizona says, "No sweetie. Mommy likes Teddy, but mommy loves Callie. So, I'm only hugging Callie, ok?"

"Ok. I'm hungry. What are we having to eat?"

"Well, I don't know. Callie is making dinner so what do you say we go give her some hugs and see what she found to fix?"

Before he answers, he is off the couch and running to the kitchen. That went better than we expected, Arizona thinks.

"Callie! What's for dinner?"

Callie hears him yelling as he runs into the kitchen. She can't help but smile at how good this all feals. It's almost overwhelming to have everything she thought she had missed out on.

"Well, I found some hamburgers and french fries. How does that sound?"

"I love them. Are they ready?"

"Just about. Let's get you wiped off and in your seat and then they should be about done."

Callie hears the front door open and close. A few minutes later, Arizona comes walking in with the mail. She sits it down on the counter and sees that Zac is already in his seat, so she walks around the counter to help Callie finish getting things plated.

"This smells good. I think I'm starving!" Arizona steals a few fries as soon as she says that.

"I saw that," Callie smiles as she shoes her away from the counter.

"I'm not sure what you think you saw, but, I didn't do anything."

"Quit being a dork." Callie laughs. Go sit by your son and I'll bring the plates over."

Halfway through dinner, a knock is heard and then Tim comes walking in. "Hey guys, what smell so good? I'm..."

He stops mid-sentence when he walks into the kitchen and takes in the sight of the three of them around the table. "Um, hey. Sorry to interrupt. I didn't know you would have company."

"Unce Tim!" Zac shouts animatedly.

"Hey bud!" Tim walks over and ruffles his hair.

"Hey, Tim!" Arizona says excitedly. "Don't worry about it. I should have called you. I'm sorry. I've just been... kinda busy." She giggles like a school girl as she looks at Callie.

"I can see that. So... I'm glad to see you back Callie. Just for a visit?" His sister is too happy for this to be anything other than a good thing, but he is interested to know what exactly is going on.

"Um, well, I'm here until Sunday. Then I have to fly back."

"Oh."

"Nope, no, 'oh'. It is a good thing!" Arizona explains. "We... are going to renew our vows!" Arizona holds up her hand so Tim can see her new ring.

"Really?"

"Really!" Arizona is hardly able to contain her excitement.

"But how is that going to work if you are going back to New York?"

Callie smiles as she explains. "Well, I have already talked to the owner and she was wanting to open up another office soon anyway. So, she decided we could open one down here, and I can run it. I am only going home to pack things up. I plan to get things packed up and back here as soon as possible."

"That's awesome! So you won't even have to look for jobs!"

"Nope. What Arizona also hasn't told you yet, is she signed with the publishing company I work for, Bellas Historias. And it just so happens, I'm her editor."

"Are you kidding?" Tim laughs.

"Nope. Funny, huh?"

"That's weird," he laughs.

"I like to think it was fate. When it is meant to be, fate has a way of putting you right where you are supposed to be," Arizona smiles dreamily as she talks.

"Ok. You are too freaking mushy already."

They all laugh, even Zac, who has no idea why they are laughing.

"So, any extras over there?" Tim looks to the counter is search of more food.

"Yep, sure is. I always fix too much," Callie laughs.

Tim helps himself to a plate and they talk about how their past 48 hours. Zac is oblivious to all the talk, he is just happy to have his favorite people with him.

After dinner, Tim starts to help clean up but Callie assures him she can take care of things.

"Well, if you don't need me, I'm going to go see Teddy."

"Oh, you guys dating yet?" Callie wants to know.

"Well, I don't know if I would call it dating, exactly…" he says as he smiles and shrugs.

"Tim, do not lead her on," Arizona warns.

"Hey now. I happen to really like her. She is the one being weird about things. I asked her out on a real date and she said she wanted to keep it light. Maybe you should warn her not to lead me on..."

"Just be careful Tim… she is still my friend if this goes bad between you."

"I know, I know. Anyways gotta go. See you three later," he says giving Zac a kiss as he leaves.

"So, what now?" Callie asks, as she starts to clear the table.

"Well, how about I clean up and you can maybe play with Zac. He has missed you."

"I'll clean up Arizona. Yoi don't have to."

"I know, but he has missed you. He will enjoy some Callie time."

"Are you sure?" Callie smiles.

"Absolutely."

"Well, how about I give him a bath and then maybe we can have a movie night and maybe just relax? We will even let Zac pick the movie."

"That sounds wonderful," Arizona says as she kisses the brunette on the cheek and then gets Zac down from his chair.

"Ok you two, I'll have this cleaned up and some movies for Zac to pick from when you come back down."

"Sounds good. Let's go bud," Callie said reaching down to hold his hand.

While they are upstairs, Arizona busies herself getting kitchen cleaned up. She pops some popcorn and grabs some cold drinks for each of them. She carrie's them in to the living room and lights a fee candles. It's getting too warm to light a fire.

She heads back to the kitchen to grab the last drink that she was unable to carry, and sees the mail she brought in earlier.

Callie and Zac still aren't back so she decides to go through it. She didn't take the time earlier to do so.

On the bottom of the pile is a large envelope. She notices the sender and immediately gets knots in her stomach.

She walks to the couch with the soda and the envelope. She sits the soda down, takes a deep breath and begins to open it.

As she pulls the contents out, she gasps.

Heartbreak. Complete utter heartbreak is what takes over. Why would Callie not tell her?

Tears begin to fall and she can't stop them. Everything was going so well. Why this? Obviously, she was wrong.

A few minutes later, a freshly bathed Zac comes running into the living room and jumps onto the couch, not noticing Arizona crying yet. Callie, however, notices as soon as she walks in.

"Arizona, honey, what's wrong?"

"Don't 'honey' me."

"Arizona… what's going on."

"I think you are the one who needs to be answering that," Arizona says through tears.

"I don't understand…"

"Maybe you will understand these," she says holding up the papers to see.

"Decree of Dissolution of Marriage"

"Arizona…" Callie nervously shakes her head.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"Arizona, I don't know what's going on," Callie shakes her head.

"It looks to me like you gave up on us as soon as you went back. Then you sent the papers to your lawyer and didn't have the nerve to tell me."

"No, Arizona! I didn't. I really don't know how this happened.

"You know, things were good. Really good. Wait… oh my god Callie. You filed them and then felt bad, so you suggested renewing our vows to make up for this! But we wouldn't need to just renew them. That's why you wanted to do it in front of everyone!"

"Arizona! Stop! I promise you, I don't know what happened. I asked you to marry me again only because I wanted to renew our vows! I don't understand what happened!"

"Well, I signed the papers and then you filed them. Seems pretty self explanatory to me."

"Mommy… what's wrong?"

"Zac…" Arizona wasn't thinking. She shouldn't have brought this up in front of him. "I'm sorry buddy. Callie and I just have a difference in opinion on something. I was just getting ready to tell Callie that she needs to go see abuela and abuelo for a little while. I'm sure they miss her."

"Arizona. Don't do this. Don't make me leave. I DON'T know what happened. I didn't give them to my lawyer."

"Callie, Zac and I are going to watch a movie. You need to go see your parents for a little while. We can talk or yell or _whatever_ later, after he is in bed. But we aren't doing this now."

Callie just shakes her head in disbelief. She is so confused. She can see that Arizona doesn't believe her, but she honestly doesn't know how this happened. Arizona is right though, they shouldn't keep discussing it in front of Zac.

Begrudgingly, she nods her head in affirmation of Arizona's wishes. "I'll be back later."

"Maybe you should take some clothes too."

"Arizona… no. I need to come home. You've got to hear me out. Please."

"I need a few hours Callie. Otherwise, I may say things that will make this even worse, and that's the last thing we need right now."

Knowing Arizona is not going to budge on this, she nods. She leans down to give Zac a kiss on the cheek.

"I'll see you later buddy."

"Ok." Zac says, not understanding what is going on right now, but is observant enough to know something is wrong.

"Um, I guess, I'll go then. But I'll need your car."

"My keys are on the table by the door." Arizona doesn't look up or say anything else.

Callie nods and starts to walk away, before she stops. " I wish you wouldn't assume the worst from me. I love you both." she says sadly.

When Arizona doesn't respond, Callie dejectedly walks toward the door. She isn't taking clothes with her because she fully intends to be back later, whether Arizona wants her to come back or not.

Callie grabs the keys and takes a last look back, not sure exactly what is going on right now, but utterly devastated and bewildered at how things could change so quickly.

When Arizona hears the door shut, tears begin to fall. Luckily Zac is fixated on tv and doesn't seem to notice. Why do things always become complicated. This what supposed to be a family movie night. As she sits and looks at the papers laying on the table, is Callie right? Is she assuming the worst from her? It makes the most sense that Callie filed them though. She had them. Why would she deny it though?

As Callie drives to her parents, she thinks back to the last time she saw the papers. It was in her office when she pulled them out of her purse to show Addie. She put them on her desk and hasn't touched them since. She decides to call Addie and see if she will look on her desk. They have to be there. This has to be a mistake.

Using the voice command on her phone, she asks it to dial Addie's number.

After a few rings, Addie picks up. "Hey, Callie! How are the love birds?"

"Addie… I need your help," Callie whimpers.

"Callie, what's wrong? Are you hurt? Is it Arizona?"

"Addie, Arizona received papers in the mail today. Our dissolution papers."

"Callie… what? I didn't think you were going to file them?"

"I didn't Addie. You know I didn't want to go through with it. That's why I need you to go look on my desk. Look in the drawers. Look everywhere. See if the envelope I showed you is still there."

"I'm just standing here talking to Meredith. We ended up putting in a late night. We had a meeting run way over, so hang on. I will go look right now."

Callie can hear Addie rummaging through things. "Where was the last place you saw it, exactly?"

"It was on my desk in the tray. I put it there after you left my office. I never put it back in my purse though so it has to still be there. But I never went looking for it again either. I didn't need it."

"I'm looking. Wait… I think I found it. Wait, no, that's not it. I don't see it here Callie."

"Addie, someone has done something with it, but it wasn't me. Double check with Meredith to see if anyone other than you or I has been in there."

Callie could here them talking.

"She says not while she has been here. She is going to call Christina though. She was here for a few days after you showed me the envelope."

"Oh, Addie. Please no. Something always happens when she is there. Oh no…surely she didn't mail them Addie?"

"Hang on… don't jump to conclusions. Meredith is on the phone with her now."

Callie can hear Meredith saying something and Addie covers the phone but she can hear a "What?!" coming from Addison regardless.

"Addie! What's going on?"

"Callie… I don't know how to say this…"

"Come on Addie, tell me!" Callie is beyond impatient now.

She can hear Addie sigh. "Callie, Christina said Cameron came in one night after you went home. She told Christina she wanted to talk to you. When Christina said you had left for the day, she asked if she could go leave you a note on your desk. She didn't think anything bad would come from that so she let her in."

"She went through my stuff and she has sent it to my lawyer. I can't believe her, Addie!"

"I'm so sorry Cal."

"Addie… she is so upset. She asked me to leave for a while. She wouldn't let me explain. She thinks that's why I asked her to marry me again. Because I knew we were divorced."

"Now that you know that Cam was in your office, you need to go back and tell her. Don't let this come between you. This isn't your fault Callie. She will understand."

"I'm not sure how much more understanding she can be. It's not fair to her."

"Well, this isn't fair to you either. You didn't ask for this Callie."

"In a way, I did. I wanted her to sign the damn things. What was I thinking…"

"Go back and talk to her. That's all you can do. Don't give her space. This is where you need to fight for her Callie."

"You're right. I don't even know where to begin. I can't even really go after Cameron because Christina let her in!"

"I know. We will have to address the Christina issue though. Her days of filling in for Mer are over."

"Well, thanks for helping me get to the bottom of things. Go home, Addie. It's too late to be working on a Friday."

"Headed out now. Good luck. Call if you need me."

"I will. Thanks again."

Callie hangs up and debates what to do. How in the world does she end up messing up the best thing that has ever happened to her. Even if it wasn't necessarily her fault.

She decides Addie is right so she turns around. As she is headed back, she begins to wonder what Cameron thought she would gain. Did she think she could get Arizona out of the picture and then she would come back to her?

Callie is determined to make Arizona listen to her. She can't just let her sit and think up the worst case scenarios. She has to let Arizona know what she suspects happened.

When she pulls up to the house, she is probably more nervous than she has ever been. What if Arizona doesn't believe her. What if Arizona does believe her but decides that it's all just too much.

Trying not to entertain the negative thoughts currently occupying her mind, she gets out of the car and heads to the porch. Trying to think of the best way to approach this, she decides maybe it is best to knock and not to let herself in. So, she does just that and knocks on the door. She waits only a minute before Arizona answers the door.

"Callie, I told you..."

"No. You don't get to do this, this time. You can't just keep pushing me away every time something goes wrong. We have to talk. We have to work through things and we can't do that if you won't listen. You can't use Zac as an excuse either. When you live with him, he is always around. You can't conveniently use him to not talk about things. He is old enough to sit in there for a few minutes watching tv while we have a conversation in I know we don't need to discuss things right in front of him but quit using him to push me away."

"I'm not doing that."

"Yes, you are. I think I figured out what happened and you are going to listen to me whether you like it or not. And we aren't going to wait forever for you to sit here and get madder and madder and not talk to me for a month. If that's the case, I'll never be able to stay at home."

"In case you missed it, you divorced me Callie. I have every right to be mad."

"Look, I told you, I didn't send the papers. But I think I know who did. Can I come in?"

Arizona considers Callie for a minute before she opens the door and lets her in.

"Just let me take him some more juice and tell him we will be in the kitchen."

"Ok. Thank you."

Arizona refills Zac's juice and makes sure he is situated before returning to the kitchen. She sits down at the table across from Callie, not knowing what she is going to hear.

"Ok, so let me hear how this is somehow _not_ your fault."

"Arizona, please. I promise you, I didn't send them in. You signed them but after leaving here and arriving back in New York, I had no desire to file the papers. None."

"But yet, you did."

"No, I didn't." Getting frustrated, Callie stands up and starts pacing. "A few weeks after I was back, I hadn't even taken the papers out of my purse. I wouldn't talk about anything to anyone. But Addie came in one day and made me talk to her. I was so upset and I pulled the envelope out of my purse to show her that you had signed the papers, but that I DIDN'T want to file them because I wanted you to take me back. I laid them on my desk, and after she left, I shoved them in a tray I keep at the corner. That's the last time I saw them."

Arizona gives her a look that says there had better be more to this story. "And?"

"And so, I started thinking and I called Addie after I left here. She had a meeting run over so her and Meredith were still at the office. I had them go check the tray on my desk and look in the drawers but the envelope is gone. Meredith or Addie hadn't done anything with it, but then they started thinking, and Christina had filled in for Meredith for a few days. So, they called her. Turns out, she failed to mention to any of us, that Cameron had come in after I left one day wanting to talk to me. Christina told her I had left for the day but Cameron wanted to leave a note for me on my desk and so Christina let her go in. I never had a note but that tells me she was snooping."

Arizona is shaking her head. "You want me to believe that your ex-fiance sent your divorce papers to your lawyer?"

"Arizona, you saw them. We both already signed and the envelope was already addressed. All she had to do was lick the envelope. I think she thought if she sent them in, that maybe she would have a shot of getting me back. Either getting me back for dumping her or actually hoping to get me back if you were out of the picture."

"Callie, we are divorced."

"I know. And I'm so sorry. This isn't what I wanted. But that is the only explanation that makes sense. I told you the other day, every time Christina is there, something gets messed up. And I know she isn't technically the one who did it, but Meredith would have never let her in my office. It's just an unfortunate series of events."

"No kidding."

"Look," Callie says coming to stand directly in front of Arizona and getting down on her knees, reaching for Arizona's hands. "I am so, so sorry this has happened. You have to believe me. I love you with every fiber of my being. I was calling you, every day, hoping you would at least talk to me. There is no way in this world I would have sent those to my lawyer. I love you so much."

"I believe you. But Callie, I just, this isn't how things were supposed to be. I just got you back and I feel like I've lost you again."

"But you didn't lose me. I'm right here. And, and, if you think about it, nothing has to change. Look, give me your ring."

"What? Why?"

"Trust me."

Arizona takes off her ring and gives it to Callie. Callie takes it and smiles up at her.

"Arizona Robbins... You and I are proof that love can overcome just about anything. I asked you to renew vows a few days ago. As it turns out, we now need a little more than that. BUT, maybe that isn't a bad thing. Our marriage was the best thing that ever happened to me. It was interrupted by tragedy and heartbreak. Maybe this is our chance to really start over and get it right this time… for me to get it right. Maybe this isn't how we would have pictured it. But maybe this is how our story is supposed to go. I've heard that the best loves are the ones with the best stories to tell. Our story is anything but boring, so that tells me our love can outlast anything that is thrown our way. It is one of the best loves, Arizona. This doesn't have to change anything. I will still go back to New York and pack my stuff. I will still be back here as soon as I can. And we can still be married, if you agree to take those vows with me again. So, Arizona Robbins, will you officially marry me, again?"

"Callie, I..."

They are interrupted as Zac comes barreling into the room.

"Mommy, my movie is off. Can we play trains?"

Seeing Callie on her knees, waiting for an answer and Zac standing there, she motions for Zac to come over to her. She picks him up and turns him so he can see Callie too.

"Callie, you know we are a package deal. This is your chance, a way out if you are having second thoughts at all. I mean you can actually choose to walk away right now. If I say yes again, this is it."

"Arizona, I don't know what else I can do to convince you that I love you both. I WANT this, forever and always, both of you. The stupid papers being filed doesn't reflect on what I feel for you. You haven't answered me and I'm not above begging. Will you please, marry me again?

Arizona finally breaks out into a smile.

"Yes, of course I'll marry you!"

Callie is all smiles as she slides the ring onto her hand, one last time. "I never want you to take that off again. Got it?"

"Got it. I don't ever want to take it off again. I love you Calliope. We love you, don't we Zac?"

"Yes we do."

"And I love you both more than you will ever know. I plan on spending the rest of my life showing you."

Arizona leans in to give Callie a small kiss.

"Kisses are gross," Zac says wrinkling his nose.

Both women laugh until Callie suddenly stops and gets a worried look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Arizona asks.

"Um, it's just, your mom and the Colonel. They are really going to kill me now."

Arizona's face now matches the one on Callie's until she seems to have had an idea.

"Hey Zac…why don't you go grab your trains and we will meet you in the living room."

That's all that needs said and he is off and running to grab them.

Arizona reaches down and pulls Callie in for a better kiss.

"Now… they aren't going to kill you. I don't really see any reason to cause unnecessary stress though. Mom already knows we were going to renew our vows. Tim already knows. Why would anyone really need to know about the change in circumstances?"

"You mean not tell them at all?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. What they don't know won't hurt them. And I don't know you would ever win mom over again if she knew."

"I don't know that it's a good idea to lie to them though, Arizona. If they find out later what happened, I really think it will be worse."

"You and I have enough obstacles right now Callie. I don't know that I can handle the stress of her knowing we aren't married right now. She is already going to be difficult as it is, I don't see a valid reason for making it worse. Please, let's not tell anyone?"

"Ok. If that's what you want."

"It is."

"Ok. Now, let's go play with some trains," Callie says giving Arizona a kiss and leading her to go find Zac.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The next morning, Arizona wakes up and reaches around for Callie only to find she is not there. The few mornings she has had a chance to wake up with her, she has already been out of bed for half of those.

"I really need to talk to her about that," she mumbles to herself.

Arizona lays and contemplates the day before. So much happened that's is almost unbelievable. She starts to think about yesterday and Callie's comment before she left the house.

Callie had said she wished Arizona didn't assume the worst from her. Is that what she was doing? She knew that Callie had been nothing but loving. She did everything she could to assure Arizona of her commitment to her.

Arizona thought about what she had done in return for Callie. And when she thought about it, she was feeling a little ashamed of how she has behaved. Even though it looked bad, Callie was one hundred percent correct in her observation. She had indeed assumed the absolute worst of Callie. She assumed that Callie had given up on her when, really, she had given Callie not many reasons to do anything but. She signed the papers and told Callie herself, to file them. So even if Callie had done just that, she still would have been out of line in her behavior.

Deciding she needs to do some assuring of her own, that she does indeed know that Callie loves her, she begins to come up with ideas. Even though Callie will be able to work here for Addie, she appreciates the fact that Callie was willing to give it all up, for her. Because as far as she can see, Callie was doing well for herself there financially. In every aspect of her life, Callie was doing what needed done to be there for her and Zac.

She reaches over to pick up her laptop. A few searches later, she comes up with an idea that is beyond anything she ever thought she would suggest. A few fact finding searches later, armed with the answers she wants, she picks up her phone to send a text to Tim.

While waiting to hear back, she heads to the bathroom for a quick shower and is out and dressed within minutes. If she wants this to work, she doesn't have a lot of time to waste.

After seeing Tim's response, she exchanged a few more texts with him while she gathers what she needs from her room.

Once finished, she heads downstairs to see Callie and Zac cuddled up on the couch with a blanket and box of donuts.

"Hey, what's going on here?"

"Um, just some morning cartoons. And donuts. Want to join us?"

"No."

Callie is caught off guard because that is not the response she was looking for.

"I'm sorry… I guess we shouldn't have had donuts. I should have fixed him something better. I'll just put these back and get something else ready." Callie scoots over and starts to get up before Arizona snaps out of her trance she seems to be in.

"What? No! Callie, I'm not upset you are having donuts. Life is too short not to splurge on a sugary treat for breakfast every now and then. Sorry… I just zoned out there for a sec. But, could you come here a minute?"

Still not sure what's going on with Arizona, she hesitantly gets up and walks toward the kitchen.

Arizona walks behind her and quickly turns her around, giving her a kiss.

"Callie, you need to not leave me every morning."

"Sorry. Zac came in and after last night, I thought you could use some rest. I know yesterday was stressful."

"Well, I appreciate it. And about yesterday, I'm sorry. You were right…"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, you were right. Before you left, you said you wished I wouldn't assume the worst. And you were right. I was. And that's not fair to you. You have not given me any reason to not trust you. So, I'm sorry."

"Arizona… I don't blame you. I probably would have reacted the same way."

"Maybe. But you deserve better. However, I really don't like that I just got you back and I lost you. I know you are still here, and we are going to get remarried. But, I don't want to wait. At all."

"I hate waiting too. But we can stat planning something really soon. As soon as you want."

"Really?"

"Really. Arizona, I love you. So much. And I hate this has happened. I can't wait to be married to you again."

"I'm glad you said that. Because, I may have done something. A big something," Arizona nervously stated.

"Arizona? What did you do? You are kind of worrying me."

"So, if it totally sounds insane and you are against it… it's no big deal. Because I've just sprung it on you and it is probably totally crazy and just, maybe you will think it's stupid and… "

"Arizona. Quit rambling. What is it?"

Arizona takes a deep breath.

"Marry me."

Callie starts laughing. "I thought we already had that figured out?"

"Today. Marry me, today."

"What? How? That's not even doable is it? It's a Saturday. We would need a license and…"

"Let's go to Vegas!"

"What?" Callie wonders if she heard her right. "You... want to go to Vegas?" Callie asks with a raised eyebrow, watching Arizona's reaction.

"Yes, I do. Today. I looked and there is a Marriage License Bureau and it is open 7 days a week. Even today, on a Saturday. And there are like, a gazillion chapels and even drive through ones. There is actually one at the hotel I booked for us. And I know… it's crazy. I mean, Vegas! Who really does that? But I want to. Today. With you."

"I think that you are crazy," Callie says with a straight face.

"I know. But we already said we have wasted so much time, then to find out that we aren't married anymore... It's just, I know I tried to give you chances to get out of this, but I don't want to ever give you another chance to walk away again. I want to show you that I'm in this as much as you are. And I don't want to waste any more time. And we can still renew our vows in front of family when you are all moved back, so they know this is real. For now though, Calliope, will you marry me, today?"

"Arizona Robbins, of course I will!" she picks Arizona up and spins her around as Arizona lets out a squeal. She stops and puts her down and leans down to give Arizona a kiss.

"Wait…" Callie pulls back.

"Oh no. You changed your mind?"

"No, you crazy lady. What about Zac? I mean, are we taking him with us?"

"Well, I kind of sort of asked Tim to go with us. Because I want Zac there. I know he doesn't understand it. But, I want to do this right. As a family. So, I asked Tim to come and then he and Zac can share a room, because, well, I love them, but I'm not about to share a room with either of them tonight. No. Absolutely not."

Callie can do nothing but laugh. "So, it sounds like you have this all planned. I guess we should book our flights."

"Actually, already done. I was really hoping you would say yes, to being my wife, today."

"You know, Arizona, I've never seen you be so spontaneous before."

"Yeah, I know. Totally out of character. But that's what you do to me. You make me crazy. But in a good way. I just don't want to wait. Because bad stuff tends to happen to us. Cameron happened to us. And I just, I don't like feeling this way. I want you to know that I love you, more than anything."

"I do know that."

"But I want to prove it to you. Today."

"You don't have to prove anything, Arizona. I know you love me. But I haven't exactly made it easy on you lately. I mean, obviously."

"I know I don't have to. But I want this. I want you."

"Ok. I want this too," Callie says giving her a kiss. "So, Tim knows we aren't married anymore?"

"Not exactly, no. I told him I wanted to take you to Vegas to get remarried. I know he assumed I meant to renew our vows, I just didn't clarify. I told him I would tell him everything later."

"Ok. Now, what time do we leave?"

Looking at her watch, Arizona makes a face. "Um, in about 30 minutes. So, you need to hurry," she says giving Callie a sheepish grin.

"Then I guess I need to hurry," Callie laughs.

"Yep. I'm already packed so I will get Zac ready. He has never flown, so he will love this!"

"Ok. I'll be back down as soon as I can." Callie gives Arizona a quick kiss as she rushes off to get ready and Arizona heads to get Zac.

About six hours later, they are checking into their rooms in Las Vegas. Arizona and Callie in one, and Zac and Tim in the other. After getting their things situated, Callie and Arizona make their way to Tim's room to give him the whole story about why they are here.

"So, you are telling me you aren't married at all?"

"Right."

"And Cameron is the one who sent the papers to the lawyer."

"Yep. That's the best we can figure."

"And then," looking to Callie, he says, "you proposed, again. And she said yes. Again?"

"Yep."

"And then you," he said pointing to Arizona, "asked her to marry you, today. And mom and dad know nothing about this."

"Yep. And I want to keep it that way," Arizona supplied.

"Ok. And why don't you want mom to know?"

"Because, there is no need for them, especially mom, to know."

"Ok. I want you to be happy, and this is what makes you happy. I don't blame you. I would probably do the same thing by not telling them. Mom hasn't been real pleasant about any of this."

"Thank you, Tim."

"Ok. What happens now? A chapel with Elvis?"

"No, you idiot. I'm not marrying Calliope in front of Elvis. We need to get a license. Then we will come back here and the hotel has a small, tasteful chapel, and I have a spot reserved for us around 7:00."

"Sounds like you were a busy woman earlier," Tim says.

"I just knew what I wanted and made it happen," Arizona says, smiling at Callie.

"You know, that's what a woman likes to hear," Callie says pulling her into a hug.

Looking at Zac, he is getting a little wobbly walking around the room. "Zac, you stay here with Uncle Tim. Maybe you can take a quick nap, and then, we are going to get all dressed up and go out and see some pretty cool stuff. But I want you a little rested. Ok, buddy?"

"Ok, mommy." Zac climbs up into Tim's lap and his eyes close almost immediately, as they all laugh. He didn't sleep a wink on the car ride or the plane, so he is more than ready for a nap."

"You two get out of here and get your license. I wanna go out and see a few sights before we get you two hitched again."

"We are leaving," Arizona says. "Thanks, Tim. And whatever you do, don't call mom or dad."

"You are bossy today," Tim says shaking his head.

"I know, right?" Callie asks, laughing.

"Are you complaining Calliope?"

"No, not at all dear." Callie says giving her a kiss.

Arizona heads the door pulling Callie along with her. They say their goodbyes and promise to hurry.

Twenty minutes later, they arrive at the License Bureau and within fifteen minutes, they are on the way back to the hotel.

"That was easy." Callie says.

"Yeah, I knew it would be. I read up on it this morning. I'm just looking for the quickest way to make you my wife again. I really hope you don't feel like I pressured you into this, though."

"Arizona, I would do anything you asked, but no, you didn't pressure me. I agreed because I can't wait either. I love you so much."

"Well, when we get back, I plan on having us get showered and changed. Then I will get Zac ready while Tim gets ready. Then, we can maybe go sight see for about an hour or so before we need to be at the chapel. Sound good?" Arizona grabs Callie's hand as she brings it to her lips for a kiss.

"It sounds absolutely wonderful," Callie leans over to give Arizona a kiss, through the biggest smile she has probably ever had. "I can't wait, Arizona. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Calliope."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"Calliope, come on. I'm sure you look fine!"

"Just… gimme a minute!"

Arizona has been waiting on Callie for forty-five minutes. Impatient doesn't even come close to describing Arizona right at this second.

"Calliope… I can't do this solo. I need you to come with me."

As Callie walks out of the bathroom, she smirks at Arizona. "I love it when you talk dirty to me."

"Calliope… will you stop?" Arizona laughs. "Wow. You look... beautiful." Arizona kisses her before she pulls back and takes in the sight before her. To Arizona, she is as beautiful today as ever. Deciding to both wear a dress, they still kept it somewhat casual. Simple but elegant is what they decided on. Callie happened to still have several dresses in her closet from before, so she picked one she already had on hand.

"You look beautiful too. Sorry it took so long. I was just a bit nervous."

"Why are you nervous?"

"Because, it's our wedding day. I mean, I know we have done this before, but I also messed it up pretty bad. I guess, I just want this time to be perfect."

"Calliope, we have been over this. The past is the past. And seriously, if you think it is going to be perfect... well, that just isn't going to happen. I think we need to be realistic. We both know we will mess things up. If we didn't, we wouldn't be human," Arizona says with a small smile.

"You're right."

"I know I am," Arizona winks. "I also know I am right when I say we need to leave. I finished getting Zac ready and Tim took him downstairs to wait for us. Zac was getting antsy. So was Tim now that I think about it," Arizona started laughing.

"Well, lead the way, my love."

"Gladly," Arizona smiles, taking Callie's hand and leading her through the door and to the elevator.

Once in the elevator, Callie asks, "So, you said there was a chapel here?"

"Well, kind of. I actually fibbed a little bit. I didn't reserve a chapel. I reserved the Terrazza Di Sogno."

"Arizona, I can't even repeat that. What is it?"

"Um, you'll see," Arizona smiles and pulls Callie in for a kiss.

As they get to the main floor of the Bellagio, they find Tim and Zac, and meander their way towards their destination, taking in the sights and sounds as they go. Zac is amazed at all the lights. Tim started off carrying him but he eventually ended up walking, holding Callie's hand.

While watching Callie and Zac walk hand in hand, Arizona wonders how their relationship will progress. There is so much she wants to discuss with Callie, but they have really only had a couple of days together and there hasn't been much time to delve into future hopes yet.

She wonders if Callie will always want to be just 'Callie' or if she wants to be 'mom'. She knows Callie loves Zac, but isn't sure what Callie wants. Arizona knows what she wants for the two of them though. She wants to file for Callie to adopt him. To make it official. She doesn't want to suggest it if Callie isn't ready though. She decides to leave the topic alone for now and see what happens.

"So, Calliope," Arizona says as they stop at the front desk. "I will be right back, so wait right here for a minute."

"Ok, we'll be right here."

Arizona walks over to the gentleman at the desk and shares a brief conversation. As he walks away, she returns to Callie, saying, "Zac, stay here with uncle Tim for just a minute. We will be right back, ok?"

"Ok, Mommy. Hurry up Callie! Me and uncle Tim will be waiting."

The women laugh as they head back over to the desk.

"What are we doing?"

"Well, we can't get married until we have bands," Arizona smiles and she gives Callie a wink. "So, I called this morning while you were getting ready and had them get some bands we could choose from."

"How did you do that?"

"I know how to work things, Calliope," she says with a wink.

They reach the desk at just the same time as the gentleman. He is returning with a glass case. In the enclosed case, Callie sees an assortment of different types of bands. Gold, silver, platinum, two-tone. Just about anything you could want in such a small case.

The gentleman smiles at them as he opens the case for them to inspect. It doesn't take Callie but a minute to find the one that she thinks is utterly perfect. Arizona follows right behind, finding one that she thinks compliments the one Callie picked out.

"Arizona, I can't believe you even thought about bands. I completely forgot about them."

"I wanted today to be as perfect as I could make it, Calliope."

"You are making it perfect just by marrying me." Callie leans in giving her a kiss but is interrupted by the gentleman holding the rings.

"Ladies, did you find what you needed?"

"Yes," they both said smiling.

They finish up there and proceeded to take in the massive hotel as they continued on to their final destination. Walking into the venue, they each follow Arizona, taking in the sight.

Callie gasped as she saw where Arizona was leading them. She led them onto a marble balcony overlooking what appeared to be a small man-made lake in the heart of Las Vegas. It was at the center of various surrounding hotels, providing a breathtaking backdrop. In the middle were large fountains, rising high into the air and lit up by various bright, beautiful colors of light. Off to the side of the fountains, sits a large replica of the Eifel Tower, giving it quite the romantic feel. Closer to where they are standing, they are also surrounded by palm trees, swaying with the gentle breeze that was blowing this evening.

"Arizona, oh my gosh, this is... breathtaking. How did you find this?"

"Well, it just so happens that when I'm writing, I have to do some research for locations in my books. I came across this about a year ago and thought it was absolutely beautiful to be in the middle of Vegas. It sort of stuck with me. So, when I called this morning, it was a total shot in the dark for me to check on this. I mean, how could this not be booked 24/7? Apparently, luck was on our side today, because, they had a cancellation yesterday. Someone called off their wedding. Their loss is totally our gain!"

"I can't believe this Arizona!"

"Mommy, look at the water! Can I swim? Please?" Zac was in awe of the colorful fountains on display before them.

Laughing, Arizona disappointed the little guy by explaining that this water was just for looks. "But," she pointed out, "there are a ton of pools that you and uncle Tim can go swimming in here in a little bit. I made sure to tell Tim to bring his swimming trunks and I brought yours too."

"Awesome! Can we go now, please?"

"Not just yet, big guy. I want you to stay with mommy and Callie for just a little bit. But, I promise we will hurry. Mommy is probably more in a hurry than you are." Squeezing Callie's hand, she pulls Callie closer to be able to give her another kiss.

"Ladies, you must be the lucky couple this evening?" A woman, looking to be about their age, asked as she approached them, holding a clipboard in her hand.

"Yes," Arizona supplies. "That would be us. Lucky indeed," she grins, looking at Callie.

"I would agree with that. This location is usually booked over a year in advance. Someone didn't care to be out a lot of money to back out the day before their wedding. But, it is definitely your gain."

"We agree," Arizona smiles.

"Ok, how about we just go over a few details and then we can get started?"

"Sounds good."

About fifteen minutes later, the sun is starting to go down and the lights from the fountains are really starting to shine. The man presiding over the ceremony walks to stand at the edge of the balcony. Tim and Zac head to stand facing him, off to the side. They have given Zac a small pillow to which they have attached the wedding bands to.

Arizona and Callie have both walked indoors, to be able to both walk down a red carpeted runner that was just put into place moments ago, lined with fresh flowers.

Arizona chooses to walk out first. As she makes the journey out the French double doors, she is holding a beautiful bouquet of pink roses. As she nears Tim and Zac, she hears Zac say, "Mommy is so pretty!"

"Tim replies, "She really is!"

As Arizona comes to stand next to Tim, she leans over and gives both men in her life a kiss on the cheek. Tim looks at her and says, "I'm so happy for you. You deserve all the happiness in the world."

"Thank you Tim." She beams at her brother.

She turns to watch Callie exit through the doors as well and begin her walk towards her. As she watches Callie walk along the flower covered runner, she can't help but think that, just maybe, Callie was right. Maybe this is the fresh start they really needed. A marriage not tainted by ghosts of the past. Tragedy, another woman, years of heartbreak... maybe this fresh start is a blessing in disguise for them and what they needed all along.

Callie's eyes contain fresh tears as she makes her way to stand in front of Arizona, also carrying a bouquet of pink roses. She never thought she would feel like she deserved Arizona Robbins again. But Arizona has shown that love can overcome all.

The lady from earlier, comes to stand next to Callie, in order to hold her bouquet during the ceremony. Arizona then turns to give hers to Tim. While gazing into each other's eyes, the officiant begins.

"Shall you join hands?"

Callie gladly reaches over and takes Arizona's hands in her own as they both can barely contain their smiles.

"We are gathered here today to join these two women in matrimony..."

Zac leans over to Tim and whispers, "What is mat money?"

Tim can't help but laugh. "I'll explain later," he whispers back.

As the officiant continues, he describes marriage and what their intent is here today. Next, he comes to the vows.

"It is time for your vows. You have chosen to recite your own, so you may begin when you are ready."

They both nod, and Arizona says, "I'll go first," as she smiles even wider at Callie.

"Calliope. I have loved you for over half my life. First as a friend, then as a lover, finally as my wife. Our happily ever after was put on pause for a while, but we are here today, to continue that happily ever after. This time, it is forever. Calliope, you give me so much joy, just in a look. You give me so much contentment, just in being near. I know that we have made mistakes in the past, but I am certain, that in no way will we make the same mistakes again. We have been given a second chance at life. I don't want to just exist with you, I want to live my life with you, experiencing everything it has to offer. I don't want to just hear you when you talk to me, I want to listen and to understand what are telling me. I know that I couldn't have picked a better person to help me raise children with. Calliope, I promise that I love you now and forever. You are my soul mate. I will spend the rest of my life loving you and devoting my life to taking care of you. I love you."

Even she wasn't a mess before, she is now, with tears streaming down her face. Unable to stop them, Arizona reaches over to help her wipe away the tears.

The officiant looks to Callie and says, "Whenever you are ready."

Zac looks at Tim and asks, "Why is Callie crying? She might need to wipe her nose if she doesn't quit."

Tim chuckles. "We will talk about it later. Here, give her this tissue," he says handing Zac a tissue to give to Callie. Tim came prepared. He knew those tissues would be needed.

Zac takes the tissue from Tim and walks over and hands it to Callie. "Here, wipe your nose."

As he hands it to Callie, the adults all laugh as Callie takes it from him. She wipes her eyes, and her nose, and takes a deep breath as she begins her vows.

"Arizona. I can't tell you how fortunate I feel, to be standing here with you today. I love you so much. Life doesn't always go the way you want it to and we are a living testament to that. But we are here together, today. As much as I regret some choices I have made in the past, the one that matters the most, is the choice I am making right now, right this second. I told you not long ago, that for a living I edit and fix others people's mistakes, but that it was time I edit my mistakes. The thing is, is that I really can't do that. Nothing I can do will change them. I can only promise that I won't make those same mistakes again. I can promise that each day, I will try my hardest to be what you need me to be, what Zac needs me to be. I promise to not only spend the rest of my life taking care of you, but Zac as well. Thank you, for allowing me to opportunity to be a part of his life. I will spend the rest of my proving that I deserve to be in his life, as well as yours. I promise so many things, but most importantly, I promise that I won't ever leave you again. I've made that mistake and it was the worst mistake I have ever made. I am so thankful that you have such a loving and forgiving heart. I am thankful for the second chance to love you like I know I can, like you deserve to be loved. You deserve the world Arizona. I love you and I look forward to spending the rest of my life loving you both."

By the time Callie is finished, Arizona is also crying. Zac looks to Tim and holds his hand out. Tim smiles as he hands Zac the tissue. The little blond walks up to Arizona and says, "Here mommy. Wipe your nose too."

The giggles erupt again as Arizona takes the tissue from Zac.

The officiant looks to Zac and Tim, and says, "May we have the rings?"

Time unties the ring's off from the pillow Zac has been holding and hands to the officiant. He then holds the rings out for the women to take.

"Repeat after me as you place the ring on her finger," he says looking to Arizona. "With this ring, I thee wed."

Arizona places the ring on Callie's finger as she says, "With this ring, I thee wed." She then raises Callie's hand and places a kiss on her ring finger.

The officiant then looks to Callie and repeats the same process. As Callie slides the ring onto her bride's finger, she says, "With this ring, I thee wed." She does the same as Arizona and brings her hand to her lips to place a kiss on her ring finger.

"By the power vested in me by the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you, wife and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Zac lets out a big, "That's gross!" as the two women share a small kiss. Callie pulls back laughing.

"I think he isn't used to seeing his mommy kiss anyone."

"He will get used to it," Arizona says smiling, pulling her in for another kiss.

"Mommy! Uncle Tim, make 'em stop!"

"Come on bud, let's look at the water for a minute," Tim says, taking Zac to look at the fountain again.

"We did it," says Arizona smiling.

"We did." Callie agrees. "And I'm so glad we did."

"You have no idea. Well... I mean, you probably do. I just,I couldn't stand it Calliope. The past 24 hours have been terrible. I just couldn't wait.

"Well, it's a done deal now." Callie pulls her in for another kiss.

"Alright ladies, how about we get some pictures and then we will put them on a disc for you to take?"

"Sounds good," they say at the same time.

About a half hour is spent on pictures. Most with the two of them, several with Zac, and a few with all four of them. As soon as they are done with Tim and Zac, Tim says they are hitting the pools.

"I'm not ashamed to say I'm using this guy to attract some ladies tonight."

"What about Teddy?" Arizona asks.

"Well, like I said, she isn't committing, so I'm still a free man. and besides, I have babysitting duty tonight so it isn't like anything is going to come from it other than conversation," he says winking. "Unless I fly back later than you two," he grins. "Come on Zac, let's get outta here and go swim, what do you say?"

"Finally! Bye mommy, bye Callie," he says pulling Tim away.

"Don't we get hugs?" Callie asks.

"Fine," he says, backtracking to give Callie and Arizona a hug.

"Ok, let's go uncle Tim."

"Ok you two," Tim says. "We won't bother you unless we get bored," he laughs.

"Tim, you said..."

"I'm teasing, sheesh. I got this. Enjoy your night. I love you both."

"Thanks Tim," both women say at the same time.

As they watch him leave, the coordinator arrives back with their photo cd.

"Here you go ladies, you are all set."

"Thanks," Arizona says grabbing the cd.

"Anytime. Glad we could help make your day special."

"We are too," Arizona says pulling Callie behind her, giggling.

"Where to now, Mrs. Robbins-Torres?"

"You know, I have couple ideas in mind," Arizona says, with a smirk on her face.

"I can't wait," Callie says taking the lead.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Arizona runs her index finger up the middle of Callie's back, very slowly. She smiles as she watches goosebumps cover Callie's arms.

They had been asleep for a little over 4 hours, when Arizona's alarm had sounded. She made sure to set it last night as soon as they made it back to their room. She knew they would be up for a while, but she also knew the activities they would engage in, would leave them exhausted today. She didn't want to waste the day sleeping so she was sure to set the alarm.

Yesterday had been a dream come true. It had truly been more than she could have ever hoped for. The venue was more beautiful than what the pictures had portrayed it to be. And her bride… she was speechless on that topic.

As she continues to run her finger up and down Callie's back, Callie begins to stir.

"Mm… don't tell me it's morning already."

"Then I won't tell you that. I'll just point out that we only have about 8 hours left to spend here before we have to be on a plane. To two different cities."

On the way to the airport yesterday, they decided that instead of Callie flying back home, then still having to fly to New York, that she could change her ticket and fly straight back to New York. Doing that would give them a little more time in Vegas.

"I don't want to go back to New York," Callie mumbles.

"I don't want you to go either. But, the sooner you go, the sooner you come home, to us."

"I love the sound of that."

"Me too, Calliope."

They lay there for a few moments, Callie finally turning around and pulling Arizona down to be able to hold her.

"I feel like there is so much to say and talk about and not near enough time to do it," Arizona says running her hand over Callie's stomach.

"I know. I feel the same way. I promise, I will get things squared away as soon as I can. I might just give all my stuff away and be done with it. It's not like we need it."

"I hate for you to do that. I mean, is there anything you like better there than what we have at home?"

"No. And the more I've though about it, I really don't want it even if I did. It's just a bad reminder of a time I would rather forget."

"That should speed up getting things taken care of then."

"Yep. I'll just call one of the local charities and tell them to come and get it. So that leaves the biggest task to be getting things squared away at work."

"How hard will that be?"

"I think the biggest thing will be figuring out what clients stay with me and which ones get passed to the assistant editors."

"You going to pass me off?" Arizona looks up with a smile.

"Not a chance," Callie giggles, leaning in to kiss Arizona.

"I still can't believe Bobbie Daniel is actually you. I can't tell you how excited I was to meet her. Then for her to walk in and have it be you..."

"I know. It was just meant to be." Arizona leans up to nibble on Callie's ear.

"So, how soon do you think you will be home? A few weeks, a month? Longer?"

"I would love to be back tomorrow, but I know it will take at least a week. Maybe two depending on when I can get someone to get things out of the apartment. I will have to have it emptied before I turn in the keys. My lease won't officially be over for another few months, but I want to give them the keys and pay the contract up. Then I can just be done with it. I will have to schedule meetings with the assistant editors and Addie. That will probably be several days worth of meetings to sort through stuff."

"Thank you, Callie."

"For what?"

"For giving all that up. Moving back. You didn't even ask if I wanted to move. You just, took things and ran with it."

"It almost kind of sounds like you are mad that I didn't ask."

"No. That's not what I meant. But you could have asked. I mean, it's not like it had to be you that moved."

"I didn't think you would want to move Zac away from his family. I figured he would be better off staying. It never really even occurred to me that you would possibly even consider it."

"I would have. Especially if it meant I had you. I mean, is it something you want to consider?"

"No. It really isn't. Not for me. I like the thought of visiting, but I really haven't enjoyed living there. I don't think you want to raise Zac there. He deserves yards to play in and creeks and lakes to fish and swim in. We can't give him that there."

"I get that. But it also needs to be based on what is best for all of us. You included. And if you need to be there for work, we could talk about it."

"Arizona, I love you and Zac. And everything I do will be based on what is best for the two of you, always. And New York,, is not the best option."

"I'm not disagreeing. But I want you to know that your wants and needs are important too. So I want you to always be honest with me about your opinions. What I want doesn't come above what you want."

"I know. And I appreciate that. But in this case, it doesn't matter, because I really want to move home. I promise."

"We are so lucky to have you Calliope."

"I think it is the other way around." Callie pulls Arizona even closer, if that's possible.

"So," Callie starts, did you have your vows planned out ahead of time or were they spur of the moment?"

"Um, I had thought most of it through during the day. Some things kind of came to me."

"You do have a way with words, my love."

"Calliope, I'm lucky to be able to think straight, let alone articulate how I feel when I am around you. You just, turn me to mush."

"It will wear off. Give it a few months, " Callie laughs.

"Never. But, I know what you are saying. I mean, most people don't like each other ten years later. But, after spending most of our lives in love with each other, I am not worried about it."

"Me either." Callie contemplates how to approach the next question. "Arizona?"

"Hm?"

"In your vows, you said 'children'."

"I did."

They continue to lay there, wrapped around each other.

"So, you want to have more?"

"I would like to. How do you feel about it?"

"I think if you want more kids, then we have more kids."

"That's not exactly answering my question though."

"Arizona, I obviously can't have anymore. So it is more your opinion that matters now."

"Calliope? What's going on?"

Callie sighs, not sure how to word what she is thinking. "It's just, I can't have any, so it would be you having another one. It's your body. I can't just say I want you to have more. That's your call."

Arizona scoots away and looks at Callie. "I can't tell whether to think it's sweet that you don't want to tell me what to do with my body or be offended that you can't even give me your opinion or tell me what you feel about it."

"Arizona, I'm not trying to be difficult. I'm just…"

"You're just… what?"

"I'm sorry. I'm not doing a very good job explaining this."

"No, your not."

"Look," Callie reaches over to grab Arizona's hand. "I feel like since I can't contribute or even be able to offer to carry, that it should be your decision. Would I like more kids? Absolutely. But I don't feel like I have a right to try to convince you or make you feel like you have to do it since I can't."

"Calliope, I know you would if you could. You are my wife though and you can give your opinion about things without thinking that I feel you are forcing me or making me feel like I have to."

"I'm sorry. I just… I'm sorry. I guess some of it is still some guilt over not being able to have more for you. But Arizona, I would love for you to have more. One more or ten more. That's what we always wanted. I just don't want to ever make you feel like I expect it."

"Calliope, don't you think I know better than that."

"I know… I'm sorry."

"So, you would like to have more?"

Nodding, Callie smiles. "Yeah, I would. After seeing Zac, a little girl would look identical to you, I'm sure. But another Zac would be awesome as well."

"I kind of have something else in mind."

"Would you rather adopt? I mean, we can do that."

"No. I want to carry. But, the thing is, they told you that you couldn't have anymore, but only because you couldn't carry. This morning while I was watching you sleep and thinking about our future, it occurred to me… your eggs aren't the problem, your uterus is. I'm not a doctor but I do believe it may be possible to use your eggs and for me to carry."

"What?"

"I could carry your baby."

"Arizona. I don't know what to say."

"You think it's a stupid idea. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"Whoa. Wait. I didn't say that. But I just, I never even considered the possibility. I just assumed I could never have any more. I'm not opposed to it at all. I just. I don't know. I'm just surprised. I never thought about it."

"So, would you possibly consider it?" Arizona asks, hopefully. "Because, then we could still use the same donor, and this baby would still be related biologically to Zac."

"I would definitely consider it," Callie says smiling.

"Calliope Torres, I didn't think I could be any happier until right this second!"

"It's Robbins-Torres," Callie corrects.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that."

"You don't want me to hyphenate it?"

"I mean, we can. But I was also thinking about something else."

"Arizona," Callie says laughing. "We have been so busy, how in the world have you had so much time to think the past couple days?"

"My mind never stops, what can I say?"

Callie starts laughing. "So, what have you been thinking?"

"What if we all just use Torres? I mean, Robbins-Torres is fine, but, it's also a mouthful. And Zac would probably appreciate not having to fit all that into a tiny line in school. I never thought about it until recently, but his name is pretty long. This would just knock it down a little."

"That's kind of a big decision. Are you sure?"

"Most married people don't hyphenate their last names. There is really no reason for us to."

"You're right. If that's what you want, I like it."

"That's what I want."

"Ok then," Callie smiles, pulling Arizona further up her body.

"That's not all I want either Mrs. Torres," Arizona smirks as she captures Callie's lips with her own.

All of a sudden, Callie flips them over as Arizona squeals. "Then then let me see what I can do about that Mrs. Torres," Callie says.

Two hours later, they are having a late breakfast with Zac and Tim. Zac is filling them in on everything they did last night.

"….and then, uncle Tim made me get out of the pool and he made me go to bed. I wasn't done swimming!"

"Zac, they were closing the pool. We had to get out," Tim clarified.

"But I wasn't done," Zac pouted.

"I'm sure you will be fine." Arizona grinned as she watched the little boy.

"So, we have a few hours, what are we going to do now?"

"Well, I thought I would maybe hit the casino for a little bit, if you two don't care?" Tim asks.

"Tim, you don't need to ask. You don't know how much we appreciate everything you have done. Go. Have fun. Just text us here in a bit and we can head to the airport together."

"Sounds good. Thanks guys! I'm going to go ahead and head out then." Tim gives Zac a high five and then he is up and heading out of the restaurant.

"You know, you are lucky to have him. He would do whatever you asked. You know, bury bodies and not ask questions kind of things."

Arizona laughs. "I know. I love him for it. So, what are we going to do?"

"Well, while you were getting dressed, I was looking, and there is that big Ferris wheel type thing with those air conditioned enclosures. It's called High Roller. I thought maybe Zach would like that."

"Oh, yeah! I know exactly what you are talking about. That sounds awesome! You can see for miles."

"Well, let's get out of here!"

A few hours later, Callie is carrying Zac back into the Bellagio. They have already checked out, but they need to grab their bags and meet Tim.

"You know, he is kind of a light weight. He has done more the past couple of days than he ever has."

"And we didn't even have too much time today to get out. He loved the High Roller though."

"He did. Not sure if he liked that or the aquarium that we lucked into more. I've never taken Zac on a big vacation. I'm not sure he could handle it after seeing how he has done the past two days," Arizona laughs.

"You've not been on vacation anywhere?"

"No. I mean, I didn't want to go with my parents, but didn't want it to just be me and Zac either."

"Well, we are going to fix that. You pick somewhere you want to go this summer, and we will make it happen. I have never really taken time off until now, so Addie knows I have some time coming."

"I can think of all kinds of places!" Arizona says excitedly.

"Hey you two!"

Turning around, they find Tim and all their luggage sitting around him.

"Hey! You've got our stuff?"

"Yep. All ready to go. I see you wore him out!"

"Oh my gosh. We did. Who knew you could cram so much into just a few hours!"

"I know. The cab is on me! Guess who won five thousand bucks?"

"No way?"

"Yes way!" Tim yells. "It was awesome. I was playing this game and it came down to the five thousand or a new truck. I was hoping for the truck, but this is pretty awesome too!"

"You know, maybe we should have tried our luck last night on the casino floor." Callie says to Arizona.

"Speak for yourself. I thought we got pretty lucky where we were," Arizona says giving Callie an eyebrow wiggle."

"Ok. Stop." Tim pretended to gag. "You are my sister and I don't want to hear about you getting lucky. Nope." Shaking his head, he reached and started grabbing bags.

"Oh, get over it. It's not like I haven't had to hear you talk about it."

"That's different. You usually don't know the women I'm talking about."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I know Callie. It's different."

"No, it's not. It's talking about the same thing, it's just..."

"Oh, for crying out loud. Both of you get over it or quit talking about your sex lives. I'm glad Zac is asleep for this."

"She started it," Tim says.

"Really. You are going to do that?"

"Are you two serious right now? You act like your 12," Callie says rolling her eyes.

"Why do you always say I act like I'm 12?" Arizona wants to know.

"Because, sometimes you really do. Now, can we go? I don't want to have to reschedule flights and sit in the airport for hours." Callie shakes her head as she laughs at the two.

A short time later, the cab pulls up in front of the airport, letting them out at the main entrance.

Tim notices that the women have gotten quiet since getting out of the cab, but figures it is because of the impending goodbyes.

"Hey, why don't I take Zac and get us checked in?"

Arizona looks from Tim to Callie and then to Zac. "Um, yeah, that will work. Hey buddy," she says looking back to Zac, "come tell Callie bye."

"Bye Callie. When will you come see us again?" Zac asks as he walks over and lifts his arms up for Callie to pick him up.

"I promise, I will be back as soon as I can. And the next time I get back, I'll get to stay forever. How's that?"

"I want you to stay forever."

"Me too, buddy. Me too. I love you."

"I love you too," he says wrapping his arms around Callie's neck.

"I'll see you soon, ok?"

"Ok." Callie held onto him for another minute and then put him down.

"You be a good boy for mommy, ok?"

"Ok."

As Callie puts him down, Tim reaches for his hand. "Come on buddy. Let's go. Callie..." He says as he reaches over to give her a one-handed hug. "Welcome back to the family."

"Thanks Tim. Thanks for everything."

"No problem. Well, let's go bud. See you in a few minutes Arizona.

"Ok. Be there in a few minutes," Arizona says, sighing.

Silently appraising each other, Callie reaches forward and grabs Arizona's hands.

"It's only for a few weeks."

"Yeah. Doesn't make it any easier though."

"I know. But then I will be home to stay."

"I know. I can't wait. I just wish we could skip over this part."

"Me too," Callie says as she wipes a tear that is falling from Arizona's eye. "Arizona, I can't tell you how happy you have made me. There are no words. Last night was just… incredible. I'm just so glad, you chose me to spend the rest of your life with."

"Calliope, if given the choice, I would always choose you again. You never have to worry about that. Now, let's not make this harder than it already is. Give me a hug and a kiss, go get your stuff sorted, and come home to Zac and I."

Knowing Arizona is right and that this goodbye is going to be hard enough, she pulls her in for a kiss and then wraps her arms around her.

"I'll see you soon. I'll make this as quick as I can. I promise."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Arizona says, wiping another tear.

Callie does the same as she drops her arms from around Arizona. She leans down to grab her bag, turns to give Arizona a kiss, then says, "I love you."

"I love you too, Calliope."

With that, Callie gives her one last kiss and turns to walk the opposite direction to her awaiting flight. Arizona grabs her bag and walks to her gate to meet Tim and Zac.

As she approaches Tim and Zac, Tim can tell she has been crying.

"Hey," he says, pulling her in for a hug. "This is only temporary. She will be home soon."

"I know, I know. It just, sucks."

"I know. But look at it this way, when she gets home, you don't ever have to let her leave again."

This makes her smile and she reaches over to pick up Zac. "Thank goodness!" As she says that, they hear the boarding call for their flight.

"You ready to fly again Zac?"

"Yeah! Let's go mommy!"

The three of them make their way to the gate as Arizona already begins making plans to welcome Callie home.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

 _One week later…_

"Teddy, I told you, I'm sorry. I don't know what else I can say."

"Arizona, not only did you get divorced or whatever you called it, but then you got remarried, and didn't think to tell me. FOR A WEEK!"

"Look, it was not expected on the divorce front. Therefore, the needing to get remarried thing wasn't planned either. It was me being impatient and not wanting to wait. I was trying to plan it flying by the seat of my pants. I was just anxious. And honestly, I was trying to limit the people who knew. The less who know, the less chance of a slip-up of our parents finding out."

"But you called Tim."

"Yes, for babysitting duty. Only because I wanted Zac there. Look, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But I can't go back and invite you. BUT, you can help me plan our vow renewal."

"What's the point of that again? Because you just got remarried. Your vows can't get any more renewed than that."

"I told you, our parents don't know about the divorce and getting remarried. I want to keep it that way. My mom was not happy when I told her we were back together last week and she knows we were going to renew our vows. So, we have to still do it. Otherwise, she will ask questions. She was always ok with me wanting her back when it was just Callie leaving. She blamed the grief and could accept it. But when she found out Callie was engaged, that just ticked her off. She went into momma bear mode and now I can't get her out. She was ticked I took her back after finding out she was engaged. If she knew we were divorced, I'm afraid she would make this all harder than it needs to be. I don't know if she could forgive Callie for that."

"Ok, so I'm going to point out something that you obviously haven't thought of."

"What's that?"

"Do they get a newspaper, still?"

"Yeah, dad reads it every day. Why?"

"Yeah, that might be a problem for you."

"Teddy, I'm not following. What's the newspaper have to do with anything?"

"You did work for one for a while, right? Did you ever read it?"

"I did. I wrote editorial type pieces. But, no, I didn't ever really read it."

"And Callie, she worked there too. Right?"

"Yes, Teddy. But you already know that. Why?"

"Good grief Arizona. Don't you two dummies know that court information gets posted in the paper?"

"What?" Arizona has a deer caught in the headlights look at this point. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh my gosh. You know, the section where it's like "this person married this person, this person divorced that person, this person was fined for public intoxication...' I think that you will be in the third category here in a little bit after this news sinks in."

"Teddy! How could we not have thought of that?"

"Well, the Vegas wedding probably won't be in there. They don't have the time to send that many licenses to the home county. But, the dissolution or whatever, that may be a different story. I think it all depends on how her lawyer filed the papers. Like with what court in what county."

"That part, I don't know."

"Then I hate to break it to you, but, your parents may find out about it anyway."

"Teddy! How could we not have thought of that?"

As Teddy watches a distraught Arizona grab her things off her desk and shove them into her bag, she really feels for her.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"I've got to get to mom and dad's. I obviously need to get Zac anyway, but I also need to check for the papers laying around. I need to know if the dissolution is in there."

"Well, good luck with that. Hopefully because Callie is out of state, it will save you the trouble. But, I wouldn't count on it."

"Yeah, I know better than that. I have got to go, Teddy. See you tomorrow."

"Call if you need to hide for a few days!" Teddy hollers as Arizona is already out of her office and halfway down the hall.

It has been 8 days since Arizona has seen Callie. They talk several times a day but that's nothing compared to actually seeing each other. Callie told her this morning they only have a few more meetings to get things situated, and that hopefully they can finish up tomorrow. Everything is out of her apartment and all her personal items, such as clothes, have already been shipped back home. She is staying with Addie until she leaves New York.

After Arizona gets back to her car, she gives Callie a call. Maybe Callie will know how her lawyer filed them. Surely it won't show up in the paper. But then again, even if it doesn't show up here, the Colonel has his ways. Why didn't they think about that?

Callie's call goes straight to voice mail. She did say she had a couple all hands on deck meetings today, so obviously she is still stuck in those. All the way to her parents' house, she frets about that paper. She just wishes Callie would have answered. She can always calm her down.

As she pulls into her parents' house, she is greeted by her son outside. Her mom and Zac are outside blowing bubbles and it occurs to her, this is her chance to go inside and snoop without her mom catching onto her.

"Hey guys! It looks like you have been having fun!" She takes in her son's appearance and he has sticky stuff all over him. She loves when he plays with the messy stuff with the grandparents.

"I'm blowing some big bubbles mommy! Wanna see?"

"Hey, I would love to. Just let mommy run into the bathroom for a minute and I'll be right back. Ok?"

"Ok. Hurry mommy!"

"Hey," her mom says. "Good day at work?"

"Oh, it wasn't bad. The kids are ready for summer vacation, so they have already kind of started blocking us out. I'll be right back, I really have to go," she says doing a little dance to make it believable.

"Sure. We will be right here." Her mom watches her walk in and thinks she is acting a little strange.

"Ok," Arizona says talking to herself, once inside. "Dad usually sits at the table and reads, so I'll head to the kitchen first." She heads there and sees one still on the table. She picks it up and scans through it. "Oh my god. There it is! How could we have been so stupid!? Luck was on our side for her to point this out today though."

Her mom didn't say anything, so hopefully, they didn't see it. Deciding she can't leave the paper though, she takes it with her. She also realizes she needs an excuse to be in the kitchen, so she grabs a plastic cup and fills it with water. "There, this will be my reason for walking in here."

As she walks out, her mom notices the cup of water and the paper. "Arizona, since when do you read the paper?"

"Oh, it's a new thing I just started. Figured I ought to keep up with current events a little more. Never know when there will be something to use in my stories."

"Ok, not that your stories revolve around anything other than broken hearts though."

"Maybe I want to broaden my horizons..."

"Well, whatever. You can't have that one though. Your dad didn't get a chance to read it this morning. He was called in early just as he sat down at the table."

"Oh, I'm sure there is nothing important that happened in here anyway. I don't want to drag Zac in the store to just grab a paper."

"Arizona, you know your dad. His day is not right if something messes up his routine. And his day is already messed up by not reading it this morning. Leave it here and I'll save it for you tomorrow."

"Mom, I wanted to do the crossword puzzle."

"Arizona, I'm not sure what's gotten into you. Give me that so he can read it. You can have it tomorrow." Barbara isn't messing around because she reaches over and snatches it out of her hand. "I'm not having a grumpy colonel tonight because you wanted to do a crossword."

Her mom sits it down on the step as Zac comes over carrying the bubbles. A genius plan comes to mind so she quickly takes action.

"Zac, come give mommy a hug. I missed you today. Then you can show me how you can blow bubbles." Usually, she would never do this, but desperate times call for desperate measures." She picks up Zac and goes to sit the bubbles down to give him a hug. As she sits them down, she and Zac go to sit down right next to them on the step. When she turns around to sit on the step, she 'accidentally' knocks the bubbles over. Now, getting bubbles all over her is a small price to pay if this works the way she planned.

"Arizona!" Barbara yells as the big bottle of bubbles spills out onto the steps, all over Arizona, and all over the paper.

"Oh my gosh... I can't believe I just did that!" Arizona at least has the smarts to look like she is truly surprised by what just happened.

She stands back up as quickly as she sat down, to see bubbles all over the paper. "Mission accomplished," she thinks to herself.

"I'm so sorry Zac. I can't believe that just happened."

"Mommy, my bubbles are all gone."

"I know buddy. Mommy is sorry. I promise we will stop at the toy store and get you some more on the way home, ok?" She fully intended to do just that and replace his bubbles. She truly hated she had to spill the bubbles. It was a necessary action that had to happen though.

"Arizona, what's gotten into you? Now your dad will have a smeared paper."

"I know. I'm sorry. My butt just keeps getting bigger and bigger though. It just got right in the way."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you did that on purpose."

"Mom, I'm not going to spill Zac's bubbles on purpose. That's... crazy," Arizona shakes her head in disbelief.

"Maybe," her mom says, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Well, I'm a mess now. We should probably go. I need to get changed and then we will probably head back out to the toy store."

"Ok. Well, give granny a kiss, Zac."

They say their goodbyes and Arizona and her bubble-soaked butt, buckle Zac in and head out.

Barbara glances at the mess her daughter just made. She picks up the paper and carefully opens it. She spreads it out over the porch, hoping she can prevent the ink from running together. Maybe she can salvage some of it for the colonel.

While driving home, Arizona tried to call Callie one more time, to no avail. The excitement of the last hour catches up to her and she starts crying.

"What's wrong mommy?"

"Nothing buddy. Just a bad afternoon and mommy misses Callie."

"I miss Callie too."

"I know Zac. But when she gets back this time, she doesn't have to leave again."

They pull into the house she unbuckles Zac. "Ok, let mommy go get cleaned up and them we will go back out so I can get you more bubbles. Then, maybe we can stop and eat. Sound good."

"Yep, let's hurry mommy."

Walking into the house, Arizona notices that her key didn't unlock the door. It was already unlocked. She begins to worry but becomes elated when she opens it to see Callie sitting on the steps waiting for them.

"Callie? You're home? Oh my god!" She says putting Zac down and rushing over to Callie. Callie meets her and picks her up, twirling her around.

"Yes, I'm home. I'm finally home!"

"I can't believe it! I wasn't expecting you for another day or two."

"I missed my two-favorite people in the world. I couldn't stay gone any longer. I called my dad and he cancelled a few appointments so he could pick me up. I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, it worked," Arizona smiles, pulling Callie in for another kiss.

Feeling her pant leg being pulled, Callie looks down at Zac.

"Hey little man, I miss you," she says, picking him up.

"I missed you too," he says. "Mommy missed you too. She was crying."

"She was?"

"Yep." He nods, looking at Arizona.

"Hey," Callie reaches over and pulls Arizona close, "when were you crying?"

"She was crying after we left granny's."

"Really? Well, why don't you go turn the tv on and mommy and I will be there in just a minute. Then, maybe we can fix something to eat, because I'm starving. What do you think?"

"Ok. I'll go find us something good to watch."

"Thanks bud," Callie says, putting him down.

They watch him walk into the living room and Callie reaches for Arizona, wrapping both arms around her.

"So, what's going on? Everything ok?"

Arizona shakes her head from side to side. "No, but it will be, now that you are home. Wait... do you have to go back?"

"I'm done. I'm mean, I'm sure there will be meetings here and there that are better in person, but I live here, full-time now. The apartment is empty, my work load has been reduced, for now anyway, to allow time for me to find a suitable space for the new location and get it opened."

"Calliope. I'm so happy you are home," Arizona gets out before she breaks down into tears.

"Hey, hey, what's going on?" Callie rubs her back, waiting on an answer.

"We were so stupid, Callie. We didn't think about the paper," Arizona gets out between sobs.

"I don't understand, honey. What about it?"

"They publish divorces, weddings, and arrests for public intoxications in there..."

"I still don't understand, why would that..." Callie trails off as realization sets on. "Oh. Damn it. And your parents, they saw it in the paper?"

"Not yet. I managed to spill bubbles on it and hopefully ruin the ink, but it's only a matter of time before someone else sees it. And that's if dad didn't go out and buy another one. They are going to find out."

"Ok. Well, I know your mom is not going to be happy about it, and we wanted to avoid her finding out. But does it really change anything?"

"Calliope, I don't think you understand. She is so against this. I mean, it was bad enough when you left six years ago. But she knew I loved you and she knew you were grieving, and that you weren't yourself. But to find out you were engaged to someone else, well, to her, you were cheating on me. And I know that's not how it really is, but to her, it's pretty cut and dry. She doesn't want me to give you another chance. And to find out we were divorced. I don't think she will understand why I took you back after that."

"Arizona, maybe we just need to quit trying to hide it and just be honest. Explain everything."

"Maybe you are right. Maybe we just need to face it head on."

"I know she isn't happy with me. She doesn't like me very well, and to be honest, I understand it. I don't know that we can keep it from her though. I can't believe I didn't think of it being published in the paper. I was an editor for years at one, for crying out loud. But, I think we just need to tell them. It will be better coming from us."

"You're right. How about we get Zac and head over. I'd rather get this done before they find out from someone else."

"Arizona, if they don't take this well... I don't want to cause problems between you and your parents."

"If it causes problems, it's on them, not you."

Callie nods, not sure that this is going to go over well. "Well, let's get Zac and go get this over with."

"Maybe we can drop him off with Tim. We might not want him there for this."

"Yeah. I'll go grab Zac and you call Tim. Then we will go," Callie says, leaning down to give Callie a kiss before going to get Zac.

Arizona grabs her phone from her pocket and dials Tim. "Hey, are you busy? Good. I have a favor then. Can you watch Zac for a little while? Yeah, it's just, Callie's home, and our dissolution was announced in the paper today. We want to try to tell mom and dad before they read it. I know... that's why we thought it was best not to take Zac. Ok, thanks Tim. We are on our way."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

"Arizona, I just came to check on you. Do you need anything?"

"No." Arizona is laying on their bed with her back facing the door. She doesn't turn around but continues to lay in the same position.

"You want me to stay in here with you?"

"No."

Callie sighs. "Ok. I um, I guess I'll go sleep in the guest room then. It's been a long day."

Much to her dismay, Arizona doesn't respond. Callie starts to ask another question but thinks better of it. "I'm just going to grab some clothes," she says regretfully. After she made it home this afternoon, she went ahead and unloaded the few bags she had with her. After she grabs what she needs, she stops at the door and turns around, quietly saying, "I love you." She was really hoping their reunion tonight would have ended differently. She had been looking forward to laying in her wife's arms.

 _3 hours earlier..._

After dropping Zac off with Tim, the two women made their way to the Colonel and Barbara's. It was a mostly silent ride. Callie could see Arizona's nerves getting the better of her and she reached to hold her hand.

"Addie is arranging to have the mustang brought down by a flat bed. It was honestly a mistake to drive it down on the last trip. Talk about uncomfortable. I should have listened to her and flown the last time too."

"I was wondering where it was."

"It should be here in about a week. I need to go car shopping tomorrow though. I can't put Zac in there. He needs something safer."

"Sorry. I know you love it."

"I love you and Zac more. It's just a car. You want to go with me or do you want me to just take care of it while you are at work?"

"Sounds like you might need me to drive you around unless you are going to call a cab."

"Dad said mom is off tomorrow, so he said she could probably go with me. But, I thought maybe you might want to help pick it out."

"It doesn't matter. It's whatever you want," Arizona says somewhat disinterested.

Callie sighs. "I know you are nervous, but I think once we explain, they will be fine."

"We will see," Arizona says as they are pulling in the driveway. She takes in a deep breath and breathes out slowly.

"I love you, Arizona. I'm right here with you. Just remember, there's not much up for discussion at this point."

"Callie, I get what you are saying, but they are still my parents. I still want them to be on board with what I do," Arizona bites back almost a bit too harshly for Callie's liking.

Deciding it is better not to make the situation worse, Callie opens her door and heads to wait for Arizona at the front of the car.

Arizona finally follows suit and walks to meet Callie. Callie reminds Arizona, "I love you and I'll be right there with you. We can do this."

"I love you too."

Standing on the porch, Arizona gives Callie one more look before opening the door. "Let's get this over with," she says to the brunette.

Arizona leads the way into the house, surprised to find her parents are not in the living room where they usually are at this hour.

Walking further in, she hears voices coming from the kitchen.

"I just knew she was acting weird today. I can't believe she hid this from us."

Arizona stops in her tracks, looks back to Callie and says, they already know."

"Then we just need to go face it," Callie whispers back.

Arizona doesn't say anything, but nods. She leads them into the kitchen where her parents are seated around the table with a fresh newspaper spread out before them.

The Colonel was the first to see them, and he slowly sat the newspaper down and directed his undivided attention to the two newcomers.

"Arizona. Callie."

"Hey dad."

"Hello Colonel."

Both women continued to walk into the kitchen as Barbara stands from the table. "Arizona, I think you have some explaining to do."

Arizona nods and takes Callie's hand. "Mom, as I'm sure you just read, you know that Callie and I, well, the dissolution was final last week. And I know what you are thinking, but..."

Barbara cuts her off. "Arizona, I really don't think you have any idea what I'm thinking right now."

"Mom, would you let me explain, please?"

"Arizona, we raised you better than this. When you came in last week and had that shiny new ring on your finger, you told me you were renewing your vows. You totally left the part out that you weren't married anymore." Barbara begins pacing back and forth across the kitchen floor.

"I didn't tell you because we didn't know at the time."

"Arizona, how do you get divorced and not know it?"

"I signed the papers mom. I gave them to her. I told her to file them. But, she didn't. They were on her desk and someone let..." Arizona paused. She really didn't want to tell her mom this next part, but Callie didn't give her the option not to.

Callie knew at this point, honesty was once again the only road through this. Callie interrupted, "It's my fault. I had already signed the papers when I gave them to Arizona, when I was here last month. She was rightfully upset with me, signed them, and told me to file them when I left. But I didn't. I left them on my desk in the envelope, which was already addressed. Our secretary was out sick and we had a fill-in. The woman didn't know who or who not let in my office. She let Cameron, my, um, my ex-fiancé, in my office. The only thing I can figure is that she found them and to try to get back at me for leaving her, she mailed them. That was several weeks ago. I never went looking for the envelope after I put it on my desk because I didn't want to file them. So, I didn't realize they were missing until, well, until we received the finalized papers in the mail, after we got back from New York."

"And by then, she had already asked me to renew our vows. We didn't know about the papers until after she asked me," Arizona adds.

" So, once again, this mess has everything to do with Callie and you were drug right into it." Barbara is not a happy woman, listening to the story so far.

"Mom, it wasn't her fault."

"So, you don't think she is at fault for her ex-fiancé mailing your divorce papers? She shouldn't have had an ex-fiancé to begin with! She was married to you!"

"Barbara, come sit down," the Colonel says. "You are going to get yourself all worked up."

"I'm fine Daniel. Our daughter is the one you should be worried about."

He just shakes his head as Arizona moves closer to the table.

"There is something else you need to know."

"Do we even want to know?" Barbara snaps.

"Um, well, after we got the papers, I wasn't happy. I mean, we had already planned to renew our vows anyway, so we talked about doing another ceremony and making it official again. But, I didn't want to wait. So, I made plans to fly to Vegas, then asked Calliope to marry me... last Saturday. So, we flew to Vegas."

"Arizona! You mean to tell me, that not only were you divorced, but then you asked her to fly to Vegas to get married? And you didn't bother to tell us!"

"It's not exactly like it was totally planned out mom. And this isn't her fault. I didn't want to wait. I was impatient and I wanted to be married again."

The Colonel has been quiet up to this point. "Ladies, do you feel like maybe you might have rushed into this?"

"Dad, this is what we want. We both made mistakes but we realized we can't live without each other. We want this. This is what makes us happy. Callie is who makes me happy. And maybe I should have told you as everything was happening, but I wanted you both to support us. I was afraid mom wouldn't do that if she knew everything."

"Well, you are damn right about that Arizona. She walked out on you and left you when you needed her most. She cheated on you for crying out loud!"

"That's not quite how it was, mom. It was way more complicated than that. And she was never in love with her. I know you don't understand that, but it's the truth."

"Arizona, I can't believe you had a way out and then walked right back into it. People don't change. If she did it once, she will do it again."

Callie has had about enough of Barbara Robbins at this point. "You know what, I made a mistake. I know I messed up. I hated myself almost as much as you do, for a long time. I thought I was doing the best thing for her by staying away, so I get that you think this is a mistake. But, I love your daughter and..."

"You love her so much you were going to marry someone else, huh?"

"Mom! That's enough. I love you, but she is my wife. Like I said, we both made mistakes. I forgive her, for everything. And she loves me as much as I love her. And she loves Zac. I would go through everything a million times over to be standing here again as her wife. So, that's enough. I'm not going to just stand here and let you keep berating her for mistakes that she has already apologized for. She doesn't need to explain herself to you any more than I do."

"Arizona. I can't believe you are talking to me this way."

"Well, I can't believe you are not taking into account that she makes me happy. I love her and I have waited years for this. I'm not going to let you ruin this for me."

"I think you need to leave then."

"Mom..."

"Now Arizona. I don't like this and I don't have to support it."

"I'm not asking you to like it. This is my life. This is what I want and what makes me happy. You don't get a say in that. It's my decision. Whether you support it or not, I love her and I will be spending the rest of my life with her."

"That's what you thought the first time."

"Mom, that's enough. I don't need your approval. But I thought you respected me enough to trust my judgement."

"Barbara, Arizona is right. It's her decision to make for herself, not for us to make it for her. If this is what she wants, I support her."

"Well, speak for yourself, I don't. I can't and I won't. I love you Arizona, but I can't support you when you are making decisions like this." Barbara shakes her head and then walks out of the room, leaving the three of them standing there.

"Arizona..." Callie says, reaching to take Arizona's hand. Arizona pulls it away though.

The Colonel watches them as he says, "Your mom will come around. Just like you want the best for Zac, she wants the best for you. She just doesn't want to see you get hurt again."

"Well, she is the one doing a good job of hurting me right now," Arizona says. "Dad, we both made mistakes, but we have moved past it. Calliope makes me so happy, why can't mom just be happy for me?"

"Arizona, I can't say I don't see where she is coming from. It can be a little concerning. But, I trust you. I trust your judgment. If you say this is what you want, then I support you."

"Thank you, dad." She says rushing over to give him a hug.

"But mom, she…"

"She will come around. There is too much for her to miss out on if she doesn't. Now, you guys get out of here. I'm sure Callie just got back from New York?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then I'm sure you two have some catching up to do. Go home, we will see you tomorrow morning with Zac?"

Callie spoke up. "Actually, sir, if Arizona doesn't mind, I'll keep him with me. I have some things to do but he can come with me."

"Alright then. Well, you two, enjoy your evening."

"Dad, I'm really sorry I didn't tell you."

"Arizona, I'm going to let you in on a secret. I already knew. All of it. But, I knew how your mom was going to take it, so I let you take the lead. Remember, I'm the Colonel. I have my ways."

Arizona stands, a little bit in shock. "You knew?"

"Yep. I protect my family at all times. I didn't see where you needed my protection this time. So I let it be. Like I said, I trust you and your judgement."

He turns to look at Callie. "You will love and protect them both from here on out. They will be your first priority. As long as we agree on that, I don't see any problems. We all make mistakes and if Arizona forgives you, so do I."

"I promise, sir. They are both my first priority. I love them both. I've made mistakes but you have my word, I have learned from them. I'll never make those same mistakes again."

"Alright then. That's good enough for me. You two get out of here. Give your mom some time. She will come around."

With one last hug to the Colonel, they leave and make their way to Tim's.

A few minutes into the ride, and Arizona still hasn't said anything, so Callie breaks the silence. "You know, if there was something I could do to make this better for you, I would. I know this is hard on you and I'm sorry for that."

"Can we just not talk about it right now? I just need time to process."

"Um, yeah. That's... fine."

It seems like an eternity passes until they finally get to Tim's. When they pull in, Arizona says, "If you want to stay here, I'll grab him. Might be quicker that way."

"Oh, sure. I'll just wait here then."

Arizona, hurries in to grab Zac, and true to her word, she is quick. Tim follows her out carrying Zac, who has fallen asleep and buckles him up.

"Thanks for watching him, Tim. We will talk to you soon."

"Wait... aren't you going to tell me how it went?"

"There Isn't much to say. Dad was ok with it, claims he already knew. Mom asked me to leave. So, there you have it."

"She really asked you to leave?" Tim asks, surprised.

"Yep. She uh, she said she can't and won't support it. And that's about it."

"She will come around. She's just mad you didn't tell her."

"I think it will be a while before she ever comes around. I mean, she probably won't even watch Zac now. I'll probably have to find someone."

"Did she say that?"

"She doesn't have to. She asked me to leave. If she doesn't want me there, it's hard to take Zac and pick him up. And the funny thing is, dad still asked before we left if I was bringing him in the morning. Luckily, Calliope said she would watch him tomorrow. I wasn't even sure what to say to him."

"She isn't going to cut Zac off, Arizona. She might not like the situation right now, but she won't take it out on him."

"You think her not wanting me there is not taking it out on him? And this isn't a 'situation' Tim. This is my life. This is more than something that will end in a week or two."

"I understand that. But, I think she will realize has immature she is being about it. It's your life to live. She has a lot to miss out on if she can't get past it."

"Well, I don't think she cares about that right now."

"But, she will. Just give her time. She is a lot like you that way, or I guess I could say you are like her. You both need time to process things. You're both the same that way. But when she has had that time, I think she will see what everyone else sees. And that, is that you two love each other and have been given a second chance. Just do me a favor..."

"What's that?"

"Don't take this out on Callie. You are upset with mom, not her. I know how you are, and you need to let Callie be there for you. I know not having mom on your side is eating away at you. But she is the one who is wrong, not you. Callie has went above and beyond to be here with you right now. So, let her."

Arizona just nods. "Well, Callie is waiting. Thanks again, Tim."

After getting back in the car, Callie watches Arizona. She couldn't hear what she and Tim talked about but can guess it was about the events of the evening. She leaves Arizona to her thoughts and they ride the rest of the way home in silence.

Once home, Callie offers to carry Zac upstairs. She pulls back his covers and lays him down. She pulls his shoes off and decides his athletic shorts and t-shirt are just as comfy as pajamas, so she covers him up instead of taking the risk of waking him as she puts on pajamas.

Deciding she is going to get ready for bed, she walks into their room to grab pajamas. She sees Arizona laying on the bed and decides to wait. She walks in and sits on the bed but Arizona then turns to face the other way.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Arizona, we need to talk about it. I know you are feeling a million things right now and it would probably help to talk."

"I don't want to talk right now. My mom doesn't want to see me and there is really nothing else to say right now."

"You can tell me how you feel about that."

"I don't want to talk about Callie. I already told you that."

"Ok. We can just lay here. We don't have to talk."

"I'd rather just be alone for now."

Disappointed in Arizona's behavior, Callie scoots off the bed rather quickly. "Sure. If that's what you want, we can wait. But we will have to talk eventually."

Arizona doesn't respond, so Callie sighs and leaves the room. She walks downstairs and pours herself a glass of wine. Today was supposed to be great. It was going to be her first official night back at home since they were remarried. They hadn't seen each other in over a week. It was supposed to be a good evening.

Callie sips on her wine and thinks about Arizona. She always wants time alone when she is upset. She has always been like this. Even back in high school if it was something as simple as a bad test grade or a fight with Tim, she always wanted to be alone. It's always frustrated Callie, more so now than ever before. She was hoping Arizona would have gotten past it, but she can see now it's not the case.

After a few glasses of wine, she realizes Arizona isn't coming down and the events of the day have left her exhausted. She takes her glass and the bottle of wine back to the kitchen and heads upstairs.

"Arizona, I just came to check on you. Do you need anything?"

"No." Arizona is laying on their bed with her back facing the door. She doesn't turn around but continues to lay in the same position.

"You want me to stay in here with you?"

"No."

Callie sighs. "Ok. I um, I guess I'll go sleep in the guest room then. It's been a long day."

Much to her dismay, Arizona doesn't respond. Callie starts to ask another question but thinks better of it. "I'm just going to grab some clothes," she says regretfully. After she made it home this afternoon, she went ahead and unloaded the few bags she had with her. After she grabs what she needs, she stops at the door and turns around, quietly saying, "I love you." She was really hoping their reunion tonight would have ended differently. She had been looking forward to laying in her wife's arms.

Just as she is walking through the door, Arizona seems to remember what Tim said, and says, "Calliope! Wait!"

Callie stops and turns back around to see Arizona scooting off the bed and standing up. She walks over to Callie and takes one of her hands in her own.

"Don't go. I'm sorry, I just needed some time to think. I'm not trying to shut you out. I just needed a few minutes to wrap my head around everything. It's not your fault. I didn't mean to make you feel bad or that I didn't want you here. I don't want you to ever feel like I don't want you. I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I know how you are. Some things never change," Callie says giving Arizona a sad smile. "I knew you just needed time. I was hoping I wouldn't have had to sleep in the guest room, but I would have if it was what you needed."

"I'm sorry. What I need, is to feel your arms around me. I've missed you. I just needed to sort out how I was feeling I guess. It's hard to talk about it when you don't understand it yourself."

"How about this... we get changed, we get in bed, I hold you, and we can save all talking for tomorrow. I just want to feel you in my arms tonight."

"Calliope, this is why I love you so much. You seem to know what I need before I do. Thank you... for even coming back up to check on me. You had every right to be upset with how I was acting."

"Well, I can't say I was happy about it, but I know from past history you just needed some time."

"Calliope, I am sorry. I need to do much better about it. I should be able to process with you there with me. I'll work on doing better. I promise."

"That's all I can ask. I love you."

"I love you too, Calliope. Now, come hold me?"

"Nothing else I would rather do..." Callie says, quietly shutting the bedroom door.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Callie's eye lids flutter open to the most wonderful sensation she has ever woken up to. She can feel her wife kissing the tops of her thighs as she rests between her legs.

"Mmm, good morning to you too," Callie says as she gasps, surprised by the sudden change in direction Arizona has just taken. "Ari-Arizona...mmm..."

Arizona takes that sound as an approving one and continues to pleasure Callie. She wraps one arm around the back of Callie's leg and then she...

"Mommy! Mommy, I'm hungry!"

"Damn it." Arizona says, as she sits up and wipes her mouth.

"Noo..." Callie mumbles.

"Calliope, I'm so sorry. I wouldn't have started that if I knew we didn't have time to finish. He usually sleeps longer. I guess he was out a little earlier than usual last night.

"It's ok. I was just pleasantly surprised to be woken up like that. A girl could get used to that," Callie says smiling.

"Mommy!" Zac yells as you can hear him try to open the door, but to no avail. "Mommy! It won't open!"

"Just a second Zac," Arizona tells. "At least I thought to lock the door first," Arizona grumbles as she climbs out of bed, but not before stopping to give Callie a quick Kiss.

"Mmm. I love the taste of me on you," Callie whispers.

"Mmm… Maybe we can pick up where we left off tonight?" Arizona hopefully asks as she steps back and grabs her robe.

"Oh, we definitely can," smiles Callie.

Arizona looks to Callie to make sure she is decent before she opens the door. "Hey buddy, you ready for breakfast?"

"Yeah, I'm starving! Uncle Tim made me eat fish sticks last night. They were gross, so I didn't eat much."

"Well, then I guess we need to go feed you."

"Give me a minute and I can fix something. I know you need to get ready for work."

"Actually, I've already sent an email cancelling classes. I rarely do that so I can afford to cancel today."

"You don't need to do that. I told you, I could get mom to take me out."

"Well, I want to take you. But, maybe we can see if your mom wants to watch Zac. I know he would be ok, but it's hard getting car seats in and out all day while you test drive different cars. So, if it's ok with you, can we ask her?"

"Oh, absolutely. I wasn't thinking about getting that in and out of different cars all day."

"I probably wouldn't have either, but I just went through it a few months ago. I learned the hard way," Arizona says laughing. "So, I will go get breakfast started and then you can maybe go ahead and get ready. Maybe go ahead and check with your mom? She is always up early so you don't have to worry about waking her up."

"Sounds good. I'll be down as soon as I can."

"Oh. Hang on Zac." Arizona gives Callie a sheepish smile and disappears into the bathroom. Callie realizes why and gives her a knowing smile when she returns.

"Ok, all clean," she laughs.

Arizona and Zac head for the kitchen while her she pulls her phone out to call her mom. She filled her dad in on everything yesterday, and while being somewhat disappointed they couldn't be there for the wedding, he was still extremely happy for the two of them.

"Hey mom," Callie says after her mom answers. "We are good. What? Oh, you saw that too, did you? Um, yeah, we went over there last night..." Callie fills her mom in on how last night went. Lucy is amazed at how Barbara treated Arizona, claiming a mother should always support her daughter. After asking about Zac, Callie says, "well, I was actually calling you about Zac. Would you want to spend some time with him today? Dad said you are off and I need to go car shopping. Arizona took the day off to go with me but said it's kind of hard getting the car seat in and out. Really? Thank you. Give us about an hour and then we will drop him off. I love you too. Bye mom."

"Well, it's good to have at least one mom support us," Callie says under her breath as she heads for the shower. Callie can understand Barbara's hesitation in accepting her back into Arizona's life. She is very surprised at how dismissive she is about Arizona's feelings though. Even though Arizona's mom is the one being difficult, she feels like it her fault. She doesn't want to be the reason Arizona and her mom are not talking. She realizes, there isn't much she can do to help the situation. The only thing she can do is to be there for Arizona.

After she finishes showering and getting ready, she heads downstairs. She can already sense that this will be similar to what normal weekday routines will be. One fixing breakfast with Zac, while the other gets ready. Then one on clean-up duty with Zac while the other one gets ready. She smiles as she thinks about this while walking into the kitchen.

"Callie," Zac yells, running over to her.

"Hey little man, does mommy have breakfast ready?"

"Yeah, can you sit by me?"

"I sure can," she says as she gets him situated in his seat and takes the empty spot next to him.

Arizona sits a fresh cup of coffee down in front of her as she leans in to give her a kiss.

"Yuck. Are you going to keep doing that?" Zac asks.

"You better believe it," Arizona says laughing.

"Ugh..." Zac grumbles.

Arizona and Callie can't help but laugh. "You'll get used it," Arizona says. "Because there is no way mommy is going to stop that."

Callie smiles as she watches the two. She has missed out on a few years of this and doesn't plan to miss another day if it can be helped.

"Zac, what do you think about spending some time with abuela today?"

"What about going to granny's?"

"Well, abuela is off today, so she thought she could take you for ice cream. How does that sound?"

"I love ice cream! Yeah!"

"Good. Then to abuela's it is," Callie says as she looks at Arizona.

Arizona can feel Callie's eyes on her and doesn't want questions in front of Zac, so she steers the conversation away from the grandparents.

"Calliope, what kind of cars are you wanting to look at?"

"Um, not a car, actually," she says watching Arizona. "I know you have an SUV and I wouldn't mind having one, but I was thinking more of looking at vans."

"Vans? Calliope, I don't see you driving a mini-van."

"Why not? I mean, you have room for one more person, comfortably. But if we wanted more... people, more than just one, it would be kind of cramped."

"Calliope, it's not like we have a lot of people with us. It will usually be just us."

Callie smiles at how dense her wife can be sometimes. She really might need to spell this out for her.

"Arizona, I know that. I meant, little people. You know, if we had more... little people with us, we would need... more room," Callie says smiling.

Arizona looks at her as she processes what Callie just said. A smile now graces her face as she says, "Oh, you mean like little, tiny people?"

Callie nods, as she says, "Yeah. Little, tiny people."

"Really?" Arizona asks, somewhat shocked that Callie is already thinking ahead.

"Yeah. Really. I mean, there's no point in getting something smaller and then needing to get rid of in a year or two."

"A year or two? So, you are thinking we might need it soon?"

"Maybe? I mean, I know there is a lot going on right now, and that's probably the last thing you want to talk about, but you know, we aren't getting any younger..."

Arizona jumps up from her seat and throws her arms around Callie's neck. "I love you so much!"

"Mommy! Stop..." Zac whines.

The ladies laugh and Zac asks, "Why do you always laugh at me?"

"We're sorry," Arizona says, reaching over to give him kisses on the cheek. "We aren't trying to laugh at you. You are just, so cute."

"That's what you always say."

"Only because it's true, buddy. Let's hurry and eat so we can get you to abuela's, ok?"

"Ok..." Zac says, shoveling another spoonful of eggs into his mouth.

A few hours later, after testing out the fifth car of the day, Callie says, "I think this is the one."

"Are you sure? It's kind of pricey."

"I'm sure. My salary has kind of quadrupled since I started working for Addy. I don't want to splurge too much, but we will need this."

"Wow. I hadn't even thought about that. And she isn't going to take anything away from you since you are moving here?"

"No. It's the opposite, actually. She is giving me more since I will be running the office here. It's worked out well," Callie smiles.

"Oh, that's amazing then," Arizona smiles.

Another hour passes and Callie is following Arizona out of the lot in her new mini-van. They decided to have a nice quiet lunch before they pick up Zac.

They decide on a little deli and go in to grab a few sandwiches. They find a seat right by the window so they can take in the warm spring day.

Halfway through lunch and small talk, Arizona gets to what she has wanted to say all morning.

"Calliope, I need to apologize again for last night. My behavior was hurtful to you and I promise to do better. I wasn't just saying that last night to appease you. I will do better. I know it's in my nature to work through things internally, it always has been. But I know I would want to be there for you if the roles were reversed, so I understand that's probably how you felt too."

Callie smiles. "It is. I feel like this is all my fault, and it kills me to see you hurting."

"Calliope, this isn't your fault."

"It sort of is. I mean it's not my fault she is being difficult, but it is because of me that she is acting this way to begin with."

"No… you can't blame yourself. I told you before we went over there, if she couldn't accept it, it's on her, not you. I mean that."

"I just… I hate you not getting along."

"Calliope, I hate that she doesn't want me to be happy. I love you and you make me... so happy. Happy beyond belief. You are Zac are the two most important people to me in this world. Her expecting me to give that up over a few past mistakes, well, that's just not going to happen."

"I would hope not. I just wish there was something I could do to make it easier on you."

"There's nothing you can do. There is something I'm going to do though. I've thought about it a lot today. If she can't accept our family the way it is, I'm not going to continue to take Zac over there. Not accepting us as a family isn't ok with me. I don't think I want Zac there if that's how she feels."

"Arizona, that's a big decision. That's not one to make lightly."

"I'm not. I hate to keep Zac away from her, but until she comes around, I don't think we should want him going over there."

"What about your dad though?"

"He is welcome to come see Zac anytime he wants. But if she can't handle being around all three of us, she won't be around him. I don't expect her to be over the moon about this, but I do expect her to respect my decision. She need to accept my decision to remarry you and to be with you. Anything less is not acceptable to me."

"I love you, and if that's what you want, I'll support your decision."

"It is. There's only one problem. I know you said you would watch Zac today, but I'll need to find a new babysitter. Your mom usually does one day a week if she is off through the week, but usually she works most week days."

"I can keep him with me for the time being. We don't have to be in a hurry to find someone. I need to scope out office space but he can come with me for that. Until we actually open an office, I'll be working from home. So, we have a little time."

"But we should probably find someone soon. I mean, you don't want to have to fight with him every day."

"Arizona, it isn't a hardship spending time with him. I mean, I thought he was my responsibility now too?"

"He is. I wasn't trying to imply you wouldn't want to spend time with him. It's just, I know you are working too. I know from experience it's hard to get stuff done working at home with him there. You count the time down to nap time so you can actually get things done."

"I get that. But while I'm at home, I'd like to keep him with me, if that's ok with you. I want a chance to really spend time with him. And yes, that might mean I finish my day after you get home sometimes, but I really want this. It's just for a few weeks anyway and it might take that long to find someone else regardless."

"If you are sure. I don't want you to feel like you have to."

"You are making it sound like I have options when it comes to Zac. Why do you keep doing that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Never mind."

"Calliope, I don't want him to be an option for you. It's just..."

"It's just... what?

"I guess I don't know what you want as far as Zac goes. I don't know if you look at him as just my kid or if you want him to be ours? I don't know what kind of relationship you want with him. And I don't want to push something that you aren't ready for."

"So, that's it... you don't think I'm ready to be a parent?"

"What? No... that's not what I meant. Not at all, that's... Look, I know what I want for the two of you. I want you to help me raise him, I want you to help with everything. I want nothing more than for you to be his other mom. But, I know of people who are married that already had kids and sometimes the spouse just wants to be the step parent and not the parent. I guess I didn't want to make you feel like you had to be the parent if you didn't want to."

Callie nods as she listens to what Arizona is saying. "Arizona, I... I guess I know he is yours. I know he is your son, but I love him just like he is mine. I know it hasn't been very long, but I don't feel any different about him than I did Isaiah or Isabella."

"Then that make you his mom," Arizona says, smiling at Callie.

"Really?" Callis asks with her eyebrows raised.

"Really. That's what makes a parent. That's what makes you his momma. Or mom. Whatever you want him to call you..."

Arizona gets the widest smile she has ever gotten from Callie. "I wanna be his momma," she says as she smiles and nods her head.

"Then you are his momma," Arizona says returning the smile. "Why don't you say we get out of here, go pick our son up, and then figure out what to do with the rest of this marvelous day?"

"That sounds wonderful!"

Hours later, after a day spent at the park and an impromptu dinner with Callie's parents, the family is back at home. Zac has been bathed and is in bed sound asleep.

Callie had been the one Zac asked for a bedtime story from, so Arizona has taken the opportunity to get a quick shower and change into something a little revealing. When Callie walks into the bedroom, she says, "Ok, he is out like a light. I think we wore him out. He..." She then looks up and sees Arizona spread out on the bed and her mouth starts to water instantly.

"If I remember right, we had something to continue..." Arizona says giving Callie a look that she knows too well.

"Um, I uh, I..."

"I love a flustered Calliope," Arizona says smirking. "Why don't you lock that door, grab a quick shower, and then come and join me?"

"Yeah, I um, ok..." Callie barely gets off as she rushes off into the bathroom.

"Oh, she makes it too easy on me," Arizona says to herself laughing.

While Callie is in the shower, Arizona grabs her phone and looks a few things up. She has had an idea running through her mind since she and Callie talked this afternoon about Zac. She wants to have Callie adopt him, to prove that she sees her as just as much a parent as she herself is. She makes a few mental notes of some things she will have to do to get the ball rolling. She would love to surprise Callie with this very soon.

As the water shuts off, she sets her phone down and awaits the love of her life. Callie didn't take anything into the shower with her, so she isn't surprised when Callie walks out with her hair up and not a thing covering her body.

"Oh my, Calliope..." Arizona says as she can feel wetness pool between her legs.

"Like what you see?" Callie smirks, walking closer to the edge of the bed.

"Oh, much more than that, my love. I love what I see. So much so, that I can barely wait to get my lips to cover every part of that glorious body. You need to come here," Arizona smirks, pulling Callie down onto the bed with her.

"Arizona, I love that little outfit you have on, but it needs to come off."

"I'll get there. But first, where were we this morning?" Arizona asks as she pushes Callie back and crawls down Callie's legs.

"I think that's just about where..." Callie starts to say but cuts herself off with a gasp. "Oh, right there. that's where we were..."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

It has been about three weeks since Callie has been home. Callie and Arizona have found a nice routine. Callie and Zac have gotten much closer and they are nearly inseparable these days.

Callie and Zac arrive home after spending the day scouting a new office space that just came on the market. Callie is sure this is the one and already has a call in to Addie to get things started.

"Hey," Arizona says as Callie walks in the door with Zac on her shoulders, slouching down as to not hit Zac's head on the door walking in.

"Hey beautiful. How's my lovely wife?"

"Well, she isn't as beautiful as her you, but she is good," Arizona says leaning up to give Callie a kiss. "Hey big guy! What are you doing way up there?"

"I'm almost flying mommy!"

"Well, go fly upstairs and wash your hands. Dinner is ready."

As Zac runs upstairs to wash up, Arizona pulls Callie in for a much-needed kiss and a hug.

"Hey, are you ok?" Callie pulls back, looking at Arizona.

"I will be. Mom called again today wanting to see Zac. It's the same conversation we have been having for weeks now. Nothing changes and I'm the bad guy."

"You aren't the bad guy. There are no bad guys, just differences of opinions."

"Try telling her that. She is impossible."

"Well, she is as stubborn as you are. You realize that, right?"

"I know. That's what makes it even worse. So, anyway, you said you had news when you called. What's going on?"

"Well, Zac and I found the perfect space today! I've already got Addie on top of things. She might come down in the next few days, just to take a look. I did a quick video call while we were there so she could get a feel for things, but I told her it was an awful big decision and I would feel better if she saw it first-hand. Would you care if she crashed here for a night?"

"Calliope, why would you even ask that? This is your house too."

"I know, but, I just wanted to check. I know she was a little hard on you that first night. I just wanted to make sure we were all good."

"Calliope, if she wouldn't have told me what everyone else was dancing around, we might not be here right now. I'm indebted to her."

"We would have figured it out eventually. I wasn't about to give up that easily."

"I know. But she helped us along."

"Maybe," Callie nods. "Something smells good. What did you fix?"

"Um, Some grilled chicken and veggies. Nothing fancy."

"It still smells good," Callie says giving her another kiss.

Zac comes hopping down the steps and they all go to the kitchen to get settled in for dinner.

"So, I think I found a sitter today. She is a college student that is currently in one of my classes. Class ends next week though and then she will have the summer off. On top of that, she is graduating and all of her grad school classes will be online. So, she has time to be able to work during the day and do course work at night."

"Oh. Well, that sounds nice. What's she like though? Any previous experience? CPR trained? Because if not, I will pay for her to take the classes."

"Actually, we didn't talk about any of the CPR stuff. I don't know if that should be a requirement. I mean, have either of us had that training?"

Callie stops to consider that point. "No, I guess not. But we have years of maturity on our side."

Arizona gives a small laugh and Callie looks at her. "What's so funny?"

"It just seems like a bit of a double standard to not have it ourselves but want her to have it."

"Well, I want them to have it. So, whoever you decide, they are taking the training."

"Well, I'm not deciding on my own. She is coming by tomorrow right after school. I want you to meet her and see what you think."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's as much your decision as it is mine."

"Oh. Ok." Callie smiles. She wasn't expecting to be included on that decision.

The next day, after meeting Grace and Zac taking to her extremely well, Grace was offered the job, with the knowledge that she would need to take a CPR class that Callie had located earlier in the day.

That night, Addie calls to confirm that she will be flying down early in the morning to check out the new offices. Callie agrees to pick her up at the airport, so the women decide to head to bed early, right after Zac is down for the night.

"You know," Arizona says, "if Addie is staying tomorrow night, we should invite Tim and Teddy. We can cook out. We can make Tim man the grill, what do you say?"

"I think it sounds wonderful. We can't have them all here at the same time very often."

Arizona reaches for her phone and sends texts off to Tim and Teddy. "I'm sending one to each of them, but I know they are probably together. Teddy still won't agree to go on a date with him but has no problems sleeping with him."

"Well. I don't want to think about Tim, but I know this Robbins sibling has some serious skills," Callie says, brushing the top of Arizona's breast with her fingertips.

"Mmm. What are you doing? I thought we needed to go to bed since you have to get up early?"

"Well, going to bed early doesn't exactly mean that we have to sleep. Sleep is over-rated anyway, " Callie says leaning in to nibble on Arizona's ear.

Arizona's phone beeps indicating a new text. "Of course they are texting back right away. Any other time it takes them forever."

Callie laughs. "Just see what they said and we can get back to this…" she says, still nibbling at Arizona's ear, then moving to her neck.

"Damn. That feels good…"

"Check your phone," Callie mumbles through kisses.

"Mm," Arizona says. "A, a, mmm, a text from both. They will both, mmm, be here."

"Good. Now put that down," Callie says as she slides her hand down Arizona's stomach and begins to lift her shirt.

"We don't need much sleep," Arizona giggles.

The next morning, Callie and Zac have picked up Addie and they are now walking in the offices Callie has picked out.

"So, what do you think?"

"Callie, I love it. It's a great location, the space is amazing and gives us room to expand as well if we need it later. It's perfect!"

"You really think so? I mean, we can keep looking," Callie offers.

"No. This is it. This is the place. And you said Arizona is only a few minutes from here?"

"Yeah. About five minutes or more, depending on the traffic."

"Well, I love it. I figured I would. So, the realtor has papers with him and we will go ahead and sign, get this ball rolling!"

"I'm so glad you like it, Addie."

"I do," Addie says as she watches Callie hand Zac a juice box from her purse.

"You are great with him?"

"I'm trying. I still feel like I have so much to learn."

"I think you are doing great."

Callie nods. "Well, let's go find Thomas and get those signed. We are starving, aren't we Zac?"

"I'm always starving!" Zac yells, running around Callie in circles as she laughs.

As evening arrives, the two women and Zac make it back to the house. Once the contract was signed earlier, they went out for lunch and made a trip to Office Landing to pick out furniture for the new space. Zac fell asleep on the way home and Callie is carrying him into the house as Arizona holds open the door.

"I thought I heard someone. I wasn't sure if it would be you guys, Tim, or Teddy."

"Just us," Callie smiles. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Arizona smiles, giving her a kiss. She looks back and sees Addie carrying her luggage and she holds the door open for her too. "Hey Addie, nice to see you."

"It's nice to see you too!"

"Come on in, I'll carry the luggage up to your room."

"You don't have to do that, I can get it."

"I insist, let me." Arizona smiles.

Once Zac is put down for a nap, the ladies all converge in the kitchen, while dinner preparations are being made.

"So, Addie, I hope you don't mind. We invited my brother and my best friend Teddy over for dinner. We thought we would cook out, maybe go sit by the lake here in a bit."

"That sounds amazing. That's not something I ever get to experience in New York. I can see why Callie prefers it here."

"Of course, I do," Callie smirks, looking at Arizona. "The view here beats any that's in New York," she says ogling Arizona.

"Oh my gosh. Is she always that cheesy?"

"Yep. I'm not complaining though," Arizona laughs.

"I can't tell you how happy I am for you two. I've never seen Callie happier than I have than when she is with you," she says looking at Arizona.

"I can say the same about me," Arizona smiles, looking at Callie.

"Ok, seriously though, you guys are gross."

"Aren't they though? I mean, seriously gross," Teddy says, making a face as she walks into the kitchen.

"Hey now!" Arizona yells. "We aren't that bad."

"Yes you are. I put in headphones at lunch the other day and you didn't even notice. You were all Calliope this and Calliope that."

"You ignored me?"

"It's not like I had a chance to talk. I just had to keep nodding. Obviously, you couldn't even tell I was ignoring you." Teddy laughs.

"You are just mean," Arizona glares.

"Nah. You love me," Teddy says. Looking over at Addie, Teddy holds out her hand. "I'm Teddy. You must be Addie."

"Oh, yeah. I am," Addie says, holding her hand out to shake Teddy's.

Arizona decides to ask, "So Teddy, where is Tim? I figured he would be with you?"

Teddy looks at Arizona like she is surprised she would think that.

"Um, no. Why would he be?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you two…"

She is cut off by Teddy saying, "I really haven't seen him today. He texted and said he would be here though."

Wondering what was up with that, but not wanting to get into it, Arizona says, "Ok. I'm going to run this stuff out to the grill. Calliope, will you grab that plate and the long spatula over there and follow me out?"

"Sure. Can you guys listen for Zac? We will be right back."

"Sure. No problem," Teddy says.

Once outside, Callie asks, "What the hell was up with Teddy?"

"I don't know. It's like she didn't want to talk about her and Tim at all."

"Maybe they aren't spending 'time together' anymore," Callie says, using air quotes.

"Maybe… Tim didn't say anything to the contrary when he texted last though.

"Hard to tell," Callie shakes her head.

After starting things on the grill, they make their way back to the kitchen to grab the last of the stuff for the grill and Teddy and Addie are chatting away.

"Hey guys"

Ignored. That's what happens to Arizona Torres. She is being ignored like she isn't even in the room. She looks back to her wife with a look of disbelief on her face.

Callie decides to give it a try. "Hey guys " she says a little louder than her wife did.

"Hey," Addie mutters, turning back to Teddy. "So, what happened then?" Addie asks, leaning closer to Teddy.

Callie looks to Arizona and shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders.

"Arizona, if you want to go back out and mind the grill, I'll get Zac up from his nap and get him cleaned up for dinner. Hopefully Tim will be here before the food is ready."

"Sounds good." Arizona says, looking from Callie to the two women.

Neither stop to look up so Arizona says, "When you two come out, bring that last stack of plates and grab the silverware. I've got everything else already out there."

"Yeah, ok," Teddy says as she goes right back to her conversation with Addie.

Callie and Arizona leave the kitchen and look at each other. "What the hell was that about?"

"It looks like your friend is hitting on my friend," Arizona says.

"Seriously? She is dating Jake. And neither of them are gay. But what the hell?"

"Sure looks like somebody is going to be hitting on something if they keep that up."

"Arizona! Stop it. Maybe it's just a weird friend connection. You know, we had that when we first met."

"I was like 10. And it wasn't like... that."

"Yeah, but it is now. Sometimes two people just hit it off."

"Oh no. Tim! What do I tell him?"

"That he might be in for a show?"

"This is fantastic. He likes her! And now he is going to have to watch her make goo goo eyes at Addie all night."

"Well, one, he might actually enjoy that. Two, we don't know that's what's going on. Teddy and Addie really might just be new best friends."

"With benefits," Arizona smirks.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"Calliope, you always were a little slow on the uptake."

"Arizona. I can't believe you are going to go there. I'm just saying, let's wait and see and not jump to conclusions."

"We'll see. You go get the kid, I'll take care of the burgers."

"Give me a kiss first," Callie smiles.

"I'll do that anytime," Arizona smirks.

A little while later, Arizona is setting the food on the picnic table and Tim is just pulling in. He walks over to the table and starts to grab a brownie sitting there, when Arizona slaps his hand.

"Ouch! Why did you do that?"

"Because you are late and you are going to ruin your dinner."

"I'm not a kid. I will be fine. And I'm not late. I'm right on time."

"You're late. You were supposed to grill the burgers."

"Sorry. I guess I was sort of avoiding Teddy."

"What? Why? What happened?"

"She was with me when you texted about tonight. I thought everything was fine but then when she gathered her stuff, she said she didn't think we should see each other anymore."

"Hm."

"What's the 'hm' for?"

"Oh, nothing. I think you knew it was coming though. You couldn't get her to go on a real date."

"I know. Doesn't make it easier though. I really liked her."

"Well, there's something I should probably tell you then. Um..."

"Oh good, you're here!" Callie exclaims as Zac goes running toward Tim. "We are starving. Zac was afraid we wouldn't be able to eat until you got here." Callie stops and looks between the two. "Everything ok?"

"Yep. Everything is good."

"Ok. Well, it looks like the other two are still inside. I'll run back in and grab them."

As Callie starts to head towards the house, Teddy and Addie walk out the back door.

"Hey, I was just coming to get you. Tim's here and the food is ready."

"Oh," Teddy says.

Callie looks at her but doesn't say anything. They make it back to the table and Arizona introduces Addie to Tim.

"Well, hello there," Tim smiles.

Oh no, Arizona has heard that tone before. She can see where this is headed already.

Teddy watches as Tim puts on the charm, shaking her head.

"Hey there. Nice to meet you, smiles Addie.

"Very nice to meet you," Tim says smiling, making his dimples pop.

Trying to move things along, Arizona announces that they should all take a seat. Everyone does just that, with Callie, Arizona, and Zac on one side with the other three on the other side. Addie finds herself in the middle and Arizona can see this seating arrangement may not have been the best idea.

"So, Addie, you are Callie's boss lady..." Tim says.

"I wouldn't put it like that. We are best friends and it just so happens, we get to work together."

"She's the boss," Callie laughs. "But, she doesn't know what she would do without me."

"Boy, that's so true. I'm glad we could work something out to keep her."

"Me too. I'd hate to have lost Arizona and Zac to New York. But then I could have visited all the time. Looks like there might be a lot to see up there," Tim says suggestively.

"So, Addie," Arizona says, changing the subject. "What time is your flight tomorrow?" Arizona thinks Teddy and Tim both need reminded that Addie will be leaving.

"Oh, my flight isn't until three. I didn't want to have to leave first thing."

"So, how's Jake?" Arizona thinks maybe pointing out that she is seeing someone, might back the other two off even more.

"Oh, I don't know. We haven't talked in a while. Actually, since you were in New York."

"Oh." That wasn't the answer Arizona was hoping for.

"You know, being single isn't all that bad," Teddy says looking at Addie with a look Arizona hasn't seen before out of her.

"Really?" Addie says, questioningly.

"Really. Sometimes it's nice to have options." Teddy says.

"Is that what you think?" Tim says, peeking around Addie and watching the whole thing.

"Well, it's definitely not a bad thing," Teddy says, winking at Addie.

Tim can't believe what he is seeing. Teddy is flirting with Addie right in front of him.

"You know, Addie, I could take you out for some drinks later. I know just the place," Tim offers. "It would help you take your mind off of Jack."

"Jake. Arizona said his name was Jake, Tim." Teddy pipes up, looking annoyed.

"So!" Arizona shouts, trying to distract the three of them. Callie looks over to her with her mouth gaping open, in total disbelief of what's happening right in front of them. "I think we should all maybe eat, and then I think Callie would like to take Addie out by the lake and show her around. We thought we could build a fire over there and ALL hang out."

"Oh, that sounds good," Addie says.

Tim and Teddy seem to back off somewhat after that. Arizona keeps giving Teddy and Tim a cross eye. Without saying a word, she lets them both know that she has their number.

Dinner finishes without any other major disasters happening and everyone offers to pitch in to carry everything back to the house. After dinner, Arizona makes Tim go with her to the lake to start a fire.

"What the hell Tim?"

"What?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about. You and Teddy flirting with the same woman. Really?"

"She started it."

"It doesn't matter! Addie is leaving tomorrow and she isn't even gay. You both are barking up the wrong tree."

"Apparently you could see Teddy's hand on her thigh under the table like I did."

"What?" Arizona yells.

"Yep. Addie let her keep it there through most of dinner."

"You both need to back off. She didn't come here to be harassed."

Several hours later, the fire is dying down and they somehow managed to have a pleasant evening. Anytime things even started to veer off topic a little bit, Callie or Arizona one was ready to change the conversation to a different direction.

By the end of the evening, Zac had totally worn himself out playing with his trucks in the dirt and running around. Tim offers to carry Zac back into the house after he fell asleep cuddled up with Tim. After doing that, the women all gather the trash they have accumulated around the fire and take it all in.

Tim is just walking back down the stairs and makes a scene of being exhausted, and not wanting to drive home. Arizona reluctantly offers him the couch to sleep on. Teddy, picking up on what he is about to do, does the same. But this time, Addie surprises them all.

"Well, there's only one couch and if Tim has it, you can just come crash with me." They are all floored at this invitation.

"Well, I can't turn that down, can I? I'm just exhausted!" Teddy sighs.

"Come on. I'm sure Callie or Arizona have something you can borrow to sleep in?" Addie says, questioning the women.

"Um, yeah, you know we do, but..."

"Great. Let's go. Night Tim!"

Tim watches as Addie and Teddy climb the stairs, followed by Callie. Callie turns to hold her arms out in question as she turns to follow them. Arizona just shrugs, knowing this isn't how either of them expected the night to turn out.

"Nice," Tim says. She sleeps with me last night and apparently she is sleeping with her tonight."

"They are just going to sleep Tim."

"Yeah, that's what you think. I'd wash those sheets tomorrow," Tim shakes his head.

"I don't even want to think about it. Here..." Arizona says, opening the hallway door. "Here are some blankets and a pillow. Yell if you need anything."

"Yeah. I may as well go home now. Nothing makes a man feel better than getting brushed off by two women... for each other."

"Like I say, they are probably just going to sleep."

"Whatever..." Tim says.

"I love you Tim," Arizona says, giving him a hug.

"I love you too. Now, go upstairs to your wife."

"I will gladly do that."

Arriving in their bedroom, Callie has already changed and is laying down. "Get Tim all settled?"

"Yeah. He is moping now."

"I can understand that. To have Teddy dump him and then lose the shot at another girl... to Teddy. Ouch."

"I know. I can't believe that our best friends are 'sharing a bed' right now. I mean seriously? What's gotten into them?"

"Well, I feel for Tim. I really do. But, like I said before, sometimes you just can't help it. I mean, it's not like you can help who you are attracted to."

"I know that. I guess I just didn't expect them to hit it off that quick. In our guest bedroom."

"Yeah. I can tell you, those sheets are getting washed tomorrow," Callie laughs.

"Oh my gosh, you sound just like Tim."

"Well, it's true," she says, still laughing.

"This will make everything weird. It's a first-time thing for both of them. You know how that goes, it will make things weird."

"Do I need to point out that we were each other's firsts?"

"That's different. We were meant to be together."

"Maybe. But we weren't an experiment for each other so we don't know they will be. And even if they are, they are big girls and Addie goes back to New York tomorrow. So it's not like we get to have a whole lot of awkward gatherings all the time."

"You're right. So, anyway... I have something for you. I wanted it to be a lot more romantic than this, but it's been hard enough waiting all night. I can't wait another day."

Arizona goes to her drawer by the bed and pulls out an envelope and hands it to Callie.

"What's this?" Callie asks, looking at it.

"Open it."

Callie slowly opens it, as to not tear the contents. She pulls the papers out and scans through them.

"Second-parent adoption papers?"

"Yes. I told you, I want you to be his momma."

"Arizona," Callie says, with tears in her eyes. "I don't know what to say." Tears begin to make their way down her tanned cheeks and she reaches up to quickly wipe them away, but to no avail. They keep falling.

"Calliope, I meant it when I said I want to share everything with you. The past couple weeks have been the best couple weeks Zac and I have ever had. I want you to be his momma. He is so lucky to have you in his life. I don't want to wait to make this official. I mean, this is just a petition. We have to go through some court stuff and visits, but I want this for us. I want this for you and Zac."

"Arizona," Callie says, laying the papers down and reaching for Arizona. "I love you so much! Thank you, for trusting me with your son."

"Our son. He's ours. Those papers are just a technicality. I will forever consider him ours. So, you'll sign them?"

"Of course, I'll sign them!" Callie pulls Arizona into a kiss, and picks her up, laying her on the bed.

"You make me so happy Arizona Torres."

"You make me happy too, Calliope."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

The next morning, Callie and Arizona figured they should be up before everyone else in case things get awkward. They set their alarm and get up and showered, then head to the kitchen.

Deciding they should go ahead and fix breakfast, Callie begins working on some pancakes and bacon while Arizona starts some coffee.

"So, this morning should be interesting. I wonder if they will even look at each other," Callie laughs, causing Aruzona to laugh as well.

"What's so funny?" Tim wonders, walking into the kitchen.

"Oh," Arizona says, turning around to face Tim. "I was just asking Callie if she wanted me to fix the pancakes this morning. Apparently she thought it was funny, and I love to hear her laugh." Arizona wasn't about to tell him what they were really laughing about.

"You two are annoying this early. I need to maybe stay away for a while."

"Things will get better. I promise. You will find your someone you can be annoying with too. Just give it a little time."

"Arizona, don't try to humor me. I'm well aware my good looks won't last much longer before the wrinkles take over and I start looking like a grandpa. People will think my kids are my grandkids at this rate."

"Quit pouting. You've never been a pouter so don't start now."

"First time for everything," he says.

"Isn't that the truth," Addie giggles, walking into the kitchen with Teddy.

"You know what, I need to go. Thanks for the couch guys." Tim stands and heads for the door and Arizona gives Callie a look before following him. "Nice to meet you Addie."

"You too Tim!" Addie yells at him as he is already out the door.

Callie gives both of them a look. "Really you two? Did you have to walk down here in just t-shirts and underwear, knowing he would be here? Especially you Teddy! And what if Zac was up?"

"Oh," Teddy mumbles. "Sorry. I guess we weren't thinking."

"No, I don't think you were. You didn't need to rub it in his face."

"We really weren't thinking," Addie says. "But, I don't regret it," Addie says, walking over to Teddy and putting her arms around her.

"Will you two please go get dressed before Zac wakes up? I don't want him to be scarred because Aunt Teddy and Aunt Addie were half naked in the kitchen. Hanging all over each other at that."

"Fine," Addie says, pulling Teddy behind her. "We might be a few minutes!"

Teddy just giggles as she runs behind Teddy pushing her up the stairs.

Arizona comes back into the kitchen just as the door upstairs shuts. "Oh my gosh. What the hell has gotten into those two?"

"I don't know. But Addie was practically mauling Teddy right here in the kitchen."

"Seriously?"

"Well, I might be exaggerating a little. But it was still gross. I told them to go put more clothes on before Zac wakes up."

"Well, seeing as how they don't seem to have regrets yet, I wonder how this will play out," Arizona sighs, shaking her head. "Poor Tim, he thinks he sucks at sex and turned her gay. I told him I don't think it works that way."

Callie laughs at that. "Yeah, sometimes you just know." Callie pulls Arizona into her. "Have I told you that I love you today?"

"Nope. Don't think you have. I was starting to wonder."

"Wonder no more sweetheart. I love you more than you will ever know."

"I love you too," Arizona says giving her a kiss.

"Mommy…" Zac says, "I think aunt Teddy hurt herself. She is yelling."

"Are you kidding me?" Arizona mumbles angrily. "Excuse me guys. I'm going to go take care of this situation," she says quickly running up the stairs.

"Why is mommy mad?"

"Oh, she is just worried about Teddy. I know I am," Callie chuckles. "If she wasn't really hurt before, your mommy might take care of that now."

Upstairs, Arizona is banging on the guest room door. It takes a minute or two, but Teddy opens the door, peeking around the edge. "Hey, what's up?"

"You woke our son up! What the hell Teddy? He heard you yelling!"

"More like moaning… but I'm sorry! I had no idea we were that loud."

Arizona glares at her and she at least has the decency to look a little embarrassed.

"Really. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for us to be that loud. We will get cleaned up and be down in a sec."

"I'm telling you Teddy, if our son hears anymore sex noises coming from here, I'll kick your ass."

"Ok, ok," Teddy says, holding a hand up in defeat. No need to get your panties in a bunch. If you are wearing any that is. Oh, why didn't you tell me lesbian sex was so good?" Teddy whispers around the door.

"Teddy, I swear… Breakfast is almost ready Hurry up."

Teddy nods and closes the door. "Boy, she is pissed," Teddy says walking in to face Addie.

"I heard. We probably oughtta get ready this time."

Back downstairs, Arizona walks back into the kitchen and plasters a smile on her face. "So, they should be down shortly. Zac, let's get you situated and get you a plate."

A few minutes later, Teddy and Addie walk back in and are actually dressed and decent this time. Addie approaches the table and pulls a chair out, motioning for Teddy to sit.

"Thank you," Addie blushes.

"You're welcome," Teddy says as she takes the seat next to her.

"So, now that you two are decent, how was your night?" Callie asks, then thinks better of that question. "Shoot, never mind! Scratch that!" She quickly says. "I think it's pretty obvious," she says smirking.

"Yeah, it was great," Addie says. "Um, Callie, if it is ok with you, Teddy said she could take me to the airport later."

"Oh, sure. No problem," Callie says.

"So, Callie, I think that if you go ahead and start the hiring process, I will come back in a few weeks and we can do some interviews. Maybe I can plan on staying a week and we can get people hired and start training. I might even bring Meredith with me."

"No. Leave Meredith there. Nothing good happens when she is gone."

"Oh. True. I'll find someone else who can help with training. So, just have a bunch of interviews lined up and we will be good to go."

"Sounds good. Um, will you be staying here?"

"No, she won't," Teddy pipes up.

"I won't?" Addie asks.

"Nope. You will be staying with me. That is, if you want?"

Addie smiles. "I definitely want to."

"Ok!" Arizona says. "Zac, let's go get you dressed," she says taking him out of his seat and wiping him off.

As they head up the stairs, Teddh says, "I don't think she is very happy with us right now."

Callie laughs. "I'd say you are right. But, you have to admit, waking Zac up yelling while you are having sex…mm, that's a little much," Callie says shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah…. But it was totally unintentional," Addie says sheepishly.

"She will be fine. Just give her time to brood a little bit. I don't think she is upset that you two are doing whatever this is. I think she is just upset that Tim is upset." Callie smiles.

Teddy sighs. "Thinking back, I think I could have been not so in his face' about it. I should apologize."

"Probably wouldn't hurt," Callie says. "But, in other news," Callie says changing the subject, "Arizona gave me petition for second parent adoption papers for Zac," Callie says proudly.

"Really?!" "That's fantastic!" Addie and Teddy both say at the same time.

"I know. I'm so excited and beyond happy. We are going to file them first thing Monday."

"Callie, I'm so happy for you. I can't believe how everything has just fallen into place for you guys." Addie smiles, watching Callie.

"It's almost overwhelming, you know? I didn't know it was possible to be this happy."

"You two deserve it," Teddy chimes in.

Five weeks later, Addie and Callie are holding a grand opening for the new offices. Local media is attending and Arizona, Zac, and Teddy are all in attendance.

"This is so exciting," Arizona says, watching the media arrive. The past month has been a busy month for all the women. Today is the beginning of a new chapter for all of them.

Addie has made a few trips back and forth from New York to help get things situated. To the surprise of everyone, Addie has indeed stayed with Teddy on each trip she has made. The two seem to be developing some feelings for each other but are still taking everything one day at a time. With the office opening though, Addie realizes that she could spend more time working from the new location if she would choose to do so.

As finishing touches were made to Arizona's new book, Arizona decided to forgo using the pen name Bobbie Daniel and begin using her real name... Arizona Torres. Because of that, they thought it would be a great idea to use today to announce the new book and have her do a book signing to celebrate the new release as well as the grand opening at the new location.

"Are you ready?" Callie asks Arizona. "It's probably weird to know that everyone will know it's you, and not just a few people in town from here on out."

"Yeah. I'm nervous but I'm ready. I have you here with me, and as long as you are here, I know I'll be fine," Arizona assures Callie.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere. So, you ready to get this party started?"

"Yep. Whenever you are."

Callie and Addie walk over to the small crowd and Addie takes the podium that they have set up.

"Good afternoon everyone! Bellas Historias would like to thank you for joining us today and we expand our offices to Virginia. We are thrilled to be opening a brand-new location today. We hope to be able to better serve our customers and be able to provide even more beautiful work to our loyal readers."

Addie pauses to give those in attendance time to applause. This is really a good day for all of them, Callie thinks, listening to Addie talk, knowing she is getting to the best part of the day.

Turning around to make sure Arizona is ready, and getting a nod in return from the blond, Addie continues. "Callie Torres, our editor in chief, came up with our company name over dinner one night. We were discussing what to name the company one night and what direction we wanted to take our company in, and she said she just envisioned us sharing beautiful stories. That is how our name came to be. Bellas Historias means 'beautiful stories' in Spanish. Keeping with that vision of bringing our readers beautiful stories, I would like to introduce you to one of our newest authors, Arizona Torres."

Everyone begins to clap and Arizona steps towards the podium to stand beside Addie. Callie while holding Zac, watches her wife walk up to stand beside her best friend and a feeling of pride washes over her.

Arizona smiles and waves to the crowd that has gathered. "Although Arizona Torres isn't a name you have heard before, she is not new to the book industry. She is already a successful writer and you may have read her books penned under the name, Bobbie Daniel. Just like we are celebrating a new location today, Arizona is celebrating a new start to her writing career. We are lucky to have her and we are looking forward to many future projects over the next several years. Arizona will be downstairs signing and giving away free copies of her latest book, to thank you for coming today."

A little while later, after the last book has been signed, the little family makes their way home.

"Oh, my goodness," Arizona says, as they pull into the driveway. "I'm exhausted."

"Me too. I can't believe we pulled it off, but we did. And everything went so well. I think your book is going to do amazing!"

"You just feel like you have to say that." Arizona shakes her head at her.

"You know that is not true, Arizona Torres. I loved you before I met you, so to speak."

"But now that you know it's me, you definitely feel like you have to say it," Arizona smiles.

"I only say what I really mean," Callie smiles. "You are going to do amazing things Arizona Torres."

Once Zac is bathed and ready for bed, the women put in a movie and the three of them cuddle on the couch. "It feels so good to relax. It's been such a busy day," Arizona says, snuggling in closer to Callie, who has Zac on her lap.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Listen, while you were upstairs, Addie texted me."

"She did? Isn't she tired of you after the past week?"

Laughing, Callie says, "You'd think so. She actually had a thought for you. She was wondering what we would think of you doing a small book tour. You know, doing a few signing sessions, radio interviews. What do you think?"

"Oh. Well, I don't know. I never thought of anything like that before."

"Well, we have never sponsored any in the past, but Addie thinks you are the perfect person to start with. You know how much I believe in you, but the company believes in you too. This might be something to think about. I might really help boost sales for you."

"I guess it could, but I don't know that I would want to leave you."

"Well, there is nothing at all set in stone. We could structure it however you wanted it. Maybe just do several small two-day trips instead of a few weeks all at once. It's whatever you would want though. Obviously, it's whatever you are comfortable with."

"Can I think about it?"

"Of course. How about we talk about it tomorrow after we are more rested?"

"Thank you. That sounds like a plan."

A few minutes later, there is a knock on the door.

"Wonder who that could be?" Callie asks, getting up to walk to the door. "We aren't expecting anyone are we?"

"No. Not that I'm aware of," Arizona says, pulling Zac to sit on her lap.

As Callie opens the door, a woman she has never met, dressed in a nice suit is standing there holding a briefcase.

"Hello, may I help you?"

"Yes, I'm Veronica Myers from Family Services. You can call me Ronnie. May I come in?"


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Callie was not expecting to find someone who could determine their future on the other side of the door tonight.

Many things were swirling around in Callie's mind right now. What if this doesn't go as smoothly as they hope? What if the woman on the other side of this door, doesn't like her? What then?

Realizing she has been standing there too long, she gathers herself. "Oh, Mrs. Myers, please come in."

"Thank you. But please, call me Ronnie."

"Ronnie, I'm Callie Torres," she says, holding her hand out. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too. Sorry to just drop in on you, but unannounced visits happening at what I'm sure feels like inappropriate times, are all part of the process."

"I completely understand," Callie says. "Arizona and Zac are in here if you want to meet them," Callie offers, pointing towards the living room.

"Yes, that would be great, thank you." Ronnie follows Callie into the living room where Arizona abruptly sits up as they enter the room.

"Arizona, this is Veronica Myers. She is from Family and Children Services."

"Oh," Arizona says as she stands up with Zac. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Myers." Arizona tries to hide the look of surprise on her face as she sticks her hand out to shake the other woman's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too. But please, call me Ronnie," she says smiling. "And is this handsome young man Isaac? Or I guess it says here that he goes by Zac?"

"Yes, this is Zac. Zac, can you tell Ronnie hello?"

Zac lifts his hand and waves at Ronnie but then quickly buries his face in Arizona's neck.

"Sorry, he can be shy when he first meets you. He will warm up to you though," Callie says, coming to stand next to Arizona and Zac.

"Oh, that's not unusual at all. I get that quite a bit from the younger ones."

"Well, would you like to have a seat?" Callie asks, pointing to the chair next to the couch.

"Yes, thank you," Ronnie smiles as she sits down.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, I'm good, but thank you," she smiles. "I'm sure you are both wondering why I am here at this time of night?" Ronnie gives a small laugh as she looks at her watch.

"My lawyer said to expect surprise visits, so we aren't too caught off guard by your visit," Arizona smiles.

"Oh, good. I've found that often times the lawyers don't relay that information so that when I show up, sometimes I'm not greeted very kindly," Ronnie laughs.

"I would say not," Arizona agrees.

"So, as you can guess, I have reviewed a lot of your paperwork. I wanted to pop in and see what kinds of things you might be doing in the evening as a family. From what I can see, it looks like you were enjoying a family movie?"

"Yeah, we were. We actually had a very busy day and Zac was exhausted, so we thought a quiet evening at home was a good choice for the evening."

"I see. Do you mind me asking what you were doing this afternoon? Were you all together?"

Arizona decides she will start answering first. "Calliope's company was opening up a new office about a half hour from here. It's Bellas Historias Publishing and she is the editor in chief. So, we were there for the grand opening."

"What she left out, is that she is one of our newest signed authors and we released her latest book today. We had a book signing to celebrate the grand opening and her book release."

"Wow. That sounds very exciting!" Ronnie says. "Um, that leads me into a question I have for you, Callie."

"Oh, ok..." Callie says nervously.

"I don't mean to make you nervous, but I need to make sure I have all my facts right. You and Arizona were married while still in college, correct?"

"Yes. We didn't want to wait."

"And you were married for several years, but then you ended up in New York, without Arizona. Why is that?"

Feeling uncomfortable talking about this in front of Zac, Arizona says, "I'm going to go put Zac to bed. If you'll excuse me, I'll be right back. Tell Callie goodnight, buddy."

"Night Callie. I love you," Zac says, hopping down to give her a hug.

"I love you too, buddy." Callie returns the hug and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

As Ronnie and Callie watch Arizona and Zac leave the room, Callie begins to get even more nervous. "I'm sure that when you look back over the past several years, you will see things that don't make sense. It's hard for us to make sense of it. But we are in a good place now. We really are."

"I can see that you all seem very happy right now. But it is still my job to ask the questions that sometimes make us uncomfortable. So, I need to know, why where you in New York, without your wife?"

Callie wasn't expecting to be hit what that question almost right off the bat. "Um," Callie says, wishing Arizona would hurry and come back. "I was in an accident. I was pregnant with twins and we ended up losing both of the babies. I had a hard time trying to get past that. I blamed myself and was in a really bad place. I ended up in some therapy, but it didn't help much. It took a long time for me to be able to see that it wasn't my fault."

"In doing a history on both of you, I see that you actually filed for dissolution a few months ago, but then remarried immediately after. Can you tell me a little about that?"

Arizona walks back in and trying to help take some of the heat off Callie, jumps in to answer this one. "We did. I know it won't make a lot of sense, but we were in a bad place. We did sign the papers, but neither of us wanted it. She actually had the papers on her desk in New York and there was a mishap in the office with the secretary. Long story short, the papers were mailed without our knowledge. As soon as we realized, we went to Las Vegas and remarried. Not being married was the worst thing that could have happened to us, and not something either of us wanted."

Ronnie just nods and she makes some notes in her paperwork. "So, I also have to wonder, how much contact did you have with each other while Callie was working in New York?"

"Like Callie said, she was not in a very good place. I knew she needed time to sort through things, so I gave her that time."

"How long were you there all together, Callie?"

"Um, about six years." Callie had already begun to feel her stomach turn. The direction these questions are going, Callie begins to feel sick to her stomach.

"I see. And Zac just turned four. Arizona, you are the biological parent to Zac. Did you discuss having him with Callie since you were married?"

"It wasn't that simple. I was still giving her space. But I also wanted to move forward with my life."

"But you were married. You didn't feel like that was something you should discuss with her?"

"Well, at the time, not really. I mean, we weren't talking." "While Arizona is gone, let me ask you... Everyone around here was surprised a few months ago, when a local girl was shown on New York Daily as one of the hosts announced her engagement. To you. I obviously didn't know who you were at the time, but there was still a lot of talk because it was a local person on there. That was just a few months ago. Now you are here, with Arizona and Zac, obviously, but I have to say, it leaves me with a lot of questions."

"I was engaged, but I didn't love her. I was just trying to move on. I thought Arizona deserved better than me at the time. Even though I loved her, I blamed myself for the accident and losing the twins. Cameron was all about me trying to move on, but I couldn't do it. I was still in love with Arizona. I had already told Cameron we needed to talk and was planning on ending it when she announced it on tv. Announcing it was her last-ditch effort to try to keep things from falling apart. It is definitely not something I'm proud of."

"So, you leave for six years with what sounds like no contact with your wife and it doesn't appear that you knew about Zac. You were engaged to another woman and end up divorced. You are now remarried and you are home for a few months and now you want to adopt a little boy you knew nothing about. I would be lying if I said I didn't have some major concerns about your ability to provide a stable home environment for him."

Callie feels like she wants to throw up. She was hoping that they would look at the here and now, and that the past would be left there. She knew it would probably happen though, but she isn't prepared for the uneasiness it's bringing right now.

"I know that the past six years were a mess. I was a mess, I won't even try to deny it. But with Arizona's help, I'm finally able to say I am in a good place. It is with great regret that I say I wasn't here for her and Zac. I missed out on several years with Zac, and it's nobody's fault but my own. I will own up to my mistakes. But I will also say that I have learned from them, and I will never make those same mistakes again."

"I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from though. My job is to make sure he has a stable environment. It is my job to make sure that whoever is legally responsible for this little boy is committed to being there for him. That they aren't a... flight risk."

"Ma'am, I understand your concern," Arizona jumps in, defending her wife. "but we tragically lost a set of twins. The emotional turmoil that she went through, can't even begin to be understood by any of us. Even as the other parent, I wasn't the one carrying them or involved in the accident. I know her experience was not the same as mine. But we both did what we felt we needed to do to survive. We both made mistakes during that time, but we found our way back to each other. How we move forward from here is what matters."

"Arizona, I'm not trying to attack either of you for how you handled a very difficult situation. As we go through the adoption process, sometimes things need to be discussed that aren't always pleasant. And I don't want you to think that all this means that this adoption won't get approved. But it is my job to bring everything out in the open to make sure the best possible outcome is achieved for Zac."

"I just... Callie and Zac have this bond. When you watch them, you would never know that they haven't always been together. And if I had any doubts about history being repeated, I can assure you that we wouldn't be sitting here right now. We have both made mistakes but we love each other. And Callie and Zac love each other. I know that we haven't been back together that long. But we remarried and that wasn't a decision we made lightly. We didn't have to do that. We could have just lived together. But we wanted a new beginning. I know she isn't going anywhere. I wouldn't have asked her to help me parent Zac if I had any doubts at all about her staying." Arizona wipes a tear that was falling, taking a deep breath when she finishes.

"Mrs. Myers, I know that my decisions weren't always the right ones, but from here on out, Zac and Arizona are my priority. Every decision I make from here on out is based on what is best for them. I love Arizona and I love that little boy just as much as I loved the children I carried. There is no difference. I just hope my mistakes aren't going to keep me from being the parent to him that I know I can be.

"Well, I will definitely take all that into consideration. Just... do me a favor. Don't assume every bad decision will negatively impact this process. Everyone that applies for adoption, well, they all have skeletons. Like I said, I just need all the information. It is my job to take the past into account, but my job is to make sure that Zac is in the best environment going forward. I can see you are both nervous. However, as long as you are both honest, and I believe you have been, trust the process. Now, I must be going, but you can look forward to a few more unannounced visits. I promise, the next ones won't be as intrusive as this one."

With that, Ronnie stands up as Callie and Arizona follow suit. "Well, I look forward to seeing you both again."

"We look forward to the next visit," Callie says, opening the front door for her.

"You two have a nice evening. I'll see you soon," Ronnie says walking out.

"You too," Callie and Arizona say at the same time. Callie shuts the door and leans back against it, closing her eyes and letting out a heavy sigh.

"Calliope..."

"Can we not talk about it right now? I know, it's my own fault we are in this mess and it's going to be my own fault when a judge denies us. So, I just, I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Calliope, you don't get to shut down on me. Not now. She said not to assume anything. So, don't. Let's just have faith that it will all work out. Ok? You love Zac and he loves you. They will see that. And that's what will matter."

"I love you and Zac. I know you love me, but sometimes I think you both would have still been better off without me. I mean, your mom still won't talk to you. Then this woman comes in here tonight to remind me what a failure I've been and it's still all my fault Arizona."

"Calliope Torres, you need to listen to me. You need to stop it. We have overcome so much. We have survived a tragic loss, another woman, divorce... my mom will come around eventually. She is just too bull-headed right now to get over herself. And we will get through this too. You'll see. We knew that they would have questions. So, nothing should be too surprising right now. It will all be fine," Arizona smiles and nods. "Just wait and see."

"I'm sorry."

"I know you feel overwhelmed right now. But, we will show her how happy we are, how happy Zac is. We will overcome this too. I promise. Now," Arizona says, as she reaches for Callie's hand and pulls her away from the door. "Let's go see if our son is asleep yet and if not, bring him back down here to finish watching the movie."

"Sounds good." Callie can't help but smile. She has noticed Arizona saying "our son" more and more. It makes her realize she can't wait to hear Zac call her 'momma' for the first time.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

"Calliope, I'm not sure this is a good idea."

"Arizona, it's only for two days, then Zac and I will join you Friday evening. It's not like you haven't left him before."

"I know. It just seems like two days is forever. And, I don't like leaving you either."

Laughing, Callie pulls her close and gives her a kiss. They decided that Arizona would try to tackle a few book signings promoting her new book. School is now out for the summer and she has some free time. Sales have already skyrocketed and they feel a little publicity would just knock it out of the park.

"I don't like the thought of you leaving either, but the first two days, you will be tied up quite a bit. Even if Zac and I came with you, he would get restless and bored out of his mind. Addie has assured me she will take good care of you. And then, when we get there Friday, Aunt Addie volunteered to babysit so I can take _really_ good care of you," Callie says, giving her eyebrows a wiggle.

"Oh, I can't wait for that, Mrs. Torres."

"Me either. The storms last night made sure Zac didn't sleep in his own bed," Callie chuckles. "So, I have some adult time to make up for too."

"That you do. You don't get out of it this time."

"I wouldn't want to," Callie smiles, pulling Arizona into her for another kiss.

"So," Arizona says, pulling away. "What are you two going to get into until Friday?"

"Well, I think we are going over to have dinner with my parents tonight. Mom was complaining that she hasn't got to see Zac as much lately. And she is right. I have kind of been hogging him."

"You can't hog your own kid, Calliope. You just don't have to share. It's a perk."

"Well, she isn't happy about it. So, I thought we would go have dinner and then tomorrow night, I thought about taking him to see that new movie that's out. The one where they have those super powers."

"Oh, yeah. He will love that."

"I thought so. Then, we will come home and pack, and then as soon as I get home on Friday, Grace said she will have him ready to head to the airport."

"Awesome. Zac is really liking her. And I like that she cleans while she is here too." Arizona smiles saying that last part.

"Yeah, that is an unexpected perk. I told Grace that we don't expect her to clean, too. She said she doesn't have anything else to do while Zac is napping though."

"Well, I'm not complaining," Arizona smiles.

"So, are you sure you don't want me to drive you to the airport?"

"Yes, for the millionth time Calliope. I'll be fine. You need to work. You are just now getting your employees in good groove. You don't want to mess that up by skipping out a half a day."

"I know. But any time with you is worth it."

"You are too sweet. Look, I have to go. I snuck in and gave Zac a kiss. Tell him I will call later."

"Sounds good. Be careful and text me when you get to the airport."

"I will. I love you Calliope."

"I love you too," Callie says, giving her one last kiss, and watching her walk out the door.

Later that evening, after Callie gets home from work, she and Zac head to her parents' house for dinner.

"Mija... it's so good to you see you. And there is our favorite grandson!"

"Hey mom."

"Abuela!" Zac runs to Lucy to give her a hug.

"How are you, Zac?"

"I'm great. I played with Grace today. She plays trains and cars with me."

"She does? That's great! Look, dinner is ready. Why don't we go have a seat. Abuelo is already in there."

As Callie sits around the table with her parents and Zac, she can't help but smile. Her parents and Zac have an amazing relationship. She is thankful for everything Arizona has done to include them, especially when she didn't have to.

As dinner progresses and conversation continues, Zac fills them in on his day with Grace and how he and Callie will get to fly in a plane to meet Arizona in a few days.

After dinner, Carlos take Zac outside to play with the glove and ball he just picked up for him, as Callie and Lucy clean up in the kitchen.

'So, Calliope. Tell me, has Barbara still not made any attempt at fixing things?"

"No. Not at all," Callie says, shaking her head.

"Have you thought about talking to her?"

"I have. But I also feel like she should be the one who makes the first move. We didn't do anything wrong."

"Do you love your wife and your son?"

"You know I do," Callie says, smiling. She herself hasn't yet called him her son, but to hear it from her mom and Arizona, gives her butterflies.

"Then you need to try to talk to her. The Colonel stopped in the diner on his way home tonight to pick up dinner. He is a man of few words usually, but he had tears in his eyes. He knows he is welcome to see Zac anytime he wants, but he is torn. He knows it is hard on Barb whether she wants to admit it or not. And Zac has never went this long without seeing her. He told me the last time he saw Zac, he asked about her but he had no idea what to tell him."

"I feel terrible mom. If it weren't for me, they wouldn't be in this situation. I know I was wrong to leave to begin with, but I came back. This time, I'm trying so hard, and she won't even give this marriage a chance."

"Calliope, it isn't about whether you did anything wrong or not. It is about making things right. Barb isn't happy with you, but maybe you are the one who can talk some sense into her."

"I doubt that. I'm the last one she will listen to. I know Arizona misses her. And Zac too. I haven't told Arizona how many times he has asked about her. I didn't want her to be more upset than she already was."

"Then, I think you know what you need to do," Lucy says giving her a knowing look.

"I know," Callie says. "Would you mind watching Zac for a little bit? Maybe I can run over there and give it a shot."

"You know we will," Lucy smiles, giving her a nod. "That's my girl. You go, I'll finish the dishes."

Callie pulls up to Arizona's parents' house and debates what she is going to say. She starts to think maybe she decided a little too quickly, to make this visit.

She gets to the porch and knocks and Barb is the one to answer. When she opens the door to find Callie standing there, she starts to shut the door, but Callie sticks her hand out to keep it from closing.

"Callie, I have nothing to say to you." Barbara shakes her head as she tries to shut it again.

Once again, Callie stops it from closing. "Maybe you don't have anything to say, but I do. Your daughter and grandson are hurting right now. All because you refuse to accept us being together. You not talking to them is hurting them, so much."

"That's unfortunate, it really is. The way I see it, you are the ones hurting them. I can't support something when I think it's wrong."

"Unfortunate? Wow. That's... Zac misses you, so much. He asks about you all the time. He isn't used to not seeing you, and you are the one with the power to change it."

"Callie, I never said I didn't want to see Zac. Arizona is the one that said I couldn't see him. I miss him something awful. I have called and begged for her to let me see him."

"Barbara, it's not that she doesn't want you to see him. She doesn't want you telling him that we shouldn't be a family. When you call, you aren't calling to talk to her. She misses you. She wants her mom back and you want to see Zac without making any concessions. You don't have to like me. I'm ok with that. I can... I can even understand why you don't. I'm sorry Barbara. I am so, so sorry. I really messed up. Time and time again, I messed up. So, I get why you think they deserve better. I do. But the thing is, I can promise you I will never hurt them again. I know that you don't believe that, and again, I don't blame you."

"You are right. I don't believe you. Or trust you. The Colonel is too trusting and Arizona is just like him. You have hurt her so bad. It's not just her anymore. Zac stands to be hurt this time too. I can't stand by and allow them both to be hurt. I don't think you are committed enough to stay if something goes wrong. You weren't here Callie. You didn't see her fall apart. She needed you and you just left. I can't forgive someone who broke my daughter's heart, repeatedly, when I think you can do it again at the first sign of trouble."

"I told you, I understand all that. I look at Zac and I know that I would feel the same way if someone hurt him the way I hurt Arizona. But you need to realize that Arizona and I are married. We are in love and we aren't separating again. I'm not going to say that what you think doesn't matter, but I will tell you that Arizona isn't going to give up on us, just to get your approval. In the end, your dislike of me will be what keeps you from spending time with your family. We are talking about having more kids. Do you want to miss out on Zac growing up and miss seeing more grandchildren, all because you don't like me?"

"No. You aren't worth that."

"Then I would say you need to figure out how to keep your dislike of me, to yourself. You don't have to like me, but you need to respect Arizona's decision."

"So, you are saying I just pretend that I'm ok with this?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying. However, I think you can be honest with Arizona but also be a big enough person to accept Arizona's decision. She doesn't want to hear your opinion every time she turns around and be constantly reminded that you don't agree. Your daughter and grandson love you. They want you in their life but that means that whether you like me or not, you have to accept that I'm in theirs."

"I feel like I have already missed out on spending time with Zach. Are you really talking about... having more kids?"

"Yeah, we are," Callie smiles. "We haven't told anyone, but we are talking about when we want to start trying. She doesn't want to wait much longer."

"Callie... I don't know what to say."

"Say that you will try to respect Arizona's wishes. I'm a big girl, I can accept that you may never like me. But I don't want to see you not be in their life. They love you so much."

Barbara doesn't say anything for a minute. She turns around to look out in the yard, avoiding looking at Callie, before she turns back around. "Ok. I still don't approve Callie. I don't want to miss out on everything though."

"Then don't. Arizona is out of town for a book signing. Zac and I are leaving Friday to join her and we won't be back until Sunday night. How about Monday evening, you and the Colonel come for dinner?"

"I would like that. I've missed them terribly."

"Thank you," Callie with a huge smile. "You won't regret this, I promise."

"I hope not Callie. I really hope not."

"You won't. I need to get back to my parents and get Zach home. It's almost his bedtime. We will see you Monday, say, around six?"

Barbara doesn't say anything, but nods, wiping a tear that has fallen.

Callie leaves and then picks Zac up from her parents' house and fills her mom in on her conversation with Barbara. Her mom is happy that things seem to be working out but warns Callie that she still has an uphill battle winning Barbara over.

Once Callie and Zac make it back home and are ready for bed, they decide to facetime Arizona.

"Hey you guys! How are my two, favorite people?"

"Abuelo got me a new ball glove and ball! We played and he taught me how to catch!"

"Is that right? That's awesome! I can't wait to see!"

After giving Zac time to talk, Callie finally has a chance to catch up. "So, how has your day been? Did the first signing go ok?"

"It was amazing Callie! There were at least five hundred people there!"

"Seriously? That is... wow. That is amazing!"

"I know! Addie says that is the biggest crowds she has ever seen. She said the marketing people have been doing a fantastic job getting the book out there and seen."

"They are a great group of people. You are in good hands."

"Well, there is one pair of hands I can't wait to be in. I miss you."

"I miss you too. I know this is only a few days, but it seems like it's forever."

'I know, Calliope. I know. I feel the same way."

Callie decides not to say anything about her conversation with her mom just yet. She wants to make sure Barb doesn't back out and change her mind on dinner. The last thing she wants is for Arizona to get her hopes up for her mom to upset her.

"So, Calliope, we did a little shopping earlier. I may or may not have bought something for Friday night."

"Oh, you did, did you? What might that be?"

"Let's just say, it probably won't be on for long, once you see it."

"Sounds delicious," Callie purrs. "I can't wait to see you in it then."

After a little more flirting, the ladies decide that it's time for Callie to get Zac in bed. He is engrossed in his movie but they don't want him hearing something he shouldn't.

"I can't wait to see you. You be careful tomorrow and I will call you when Zac and I get back from the movies."

"Sounds good, I love you Calliope."

"I love you too."

After saying goodbye, Arizona changed in Addie's guest room and gets ready for bed. She heard voices but doesn't think much of it, she assumes it is just the tv.

After opening the bedroom door, she can hear Addie's voice starting to raise. "I'm not telling you anything! You are. Piece of work!"

"Come on Addie, just tell me where she is. I know that she misses me."

Arizona thinks she recognizes that voice but surely, it can't be. She takes a few more steps until she is in the living room with Addie and the other woman.

"You are delusional! She is married!"

"I mailed the papers that were on her desk. They were signed and everything. Surely they have been finalized by now," the woman scoffs.

Arizona isn't about to listen to any more of this. "Addie's right. Calliope is married. And you need to stay the hell away from my wife."


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

"It's you," Cameron says, glaring at Arizona. "You can't possibly still be married to her."

"Actually, you succeeded when you mailed the dissolution papers. The papers were finalized. We have already gotten remarried though, so, your little underhanded move... yeah, she knows it was you, and it didn't work."

"You already got remarried? Wow. You were really afraid you wouldn't be able to hang on to her again, huh?" Cameron asks, with a smirk on her face.

"I would suggest you get your ass out of here never ask about my wife again," Arizona says, walking to the door to open it.

"Oh, come on. What was you name... Arizona? I just want to talk to her. I mean, if you are remarried, what's it going to hurt if I just talk to her?"

"She doesn't want to see you. Did you really think she wouldn't be mad when she found out that you mailed those papers?"

"They were already signed and had been sealed. They just needed delivered. I figured I was doing her a favor. Doing what she needed to have done all along."

"Well, you figured wrong. Now, you need to leave."

"Yeah," Addie joins in. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but you need to leave before I call security."

"Oh, come on Addie. You and I go way back. We've been friends for years."

"Well, that stopped the minute you mailed those papers. That's before you turned into this person you are now. You mailing those papers... that was underhanded. I can't believe you would do that."

"Tell me Addie, did you know she was married all this time?"

"Cameron, you need to leave."

"That's what I thought. Some friend you were Addie. Let me go on and on about how I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. You didn't even say anything when I told you I was going to propose."

"You're right I didn't. I've always been more devoted to her, and that was even before you went crazy. You need to leave. I will call security."

Arizona glares at her. "Out. Now. I don't want to see you again. If you come near me or my family ever again, I can assure you we will get a restraining order. That won't look good for you... The last thing a new anchor on national tv wants is to have her name down in the police logs. I'll make sure that everyone knows if it comes to that. Now get the hell out."

"You know, I only stopped to drop off some stuff I found of Callie's… in my bedroom. Just doing her a favor."

"Out! NOW!"

"Damn, you don't have to be so pushy. I'm going."

Cameron walks out the door and turns around, looking back at both women. "I'll stop. My career is way more important than her. But just remember," she says looking at Arizona, "we had something for years. I had her when you didn't. Just remember that."

With that, Arizona slams the door in her face. She is so upset she is visibly shaking.

"Come and sit down," Addie says as she pulls Arizona to the couch.

"I'm sorry, Arizona. I saw that it was her and she had a bag with her. She said it was some of Callie's things. I didn't know what was in there and thought Callie might want it. I opened the door to grab it but then she barged in. I didn't mean for her to come in."

"It's ok. She just… I don't know what Callie ever saw in her."

"Well, she hasn't always been crazy. She was actually a level-headed person before. She was always kind. She had to be or Callie wouldn't have spent time with her. Don't let what she said get to you. You know, Callie wasn't with her because she cared about her more."

"I know. It's still not easy to think about though."

"I swear though, if she comes around for anything ever again I would get a restraining order. It's weird she picked the one night in months that you are here to drop that stuff off."

"I just had that same thought."

"Well, she might be crazy, but I don't think she planned to hear the restraining order thrown out there. She knows if her boss caught wind of that, she would be canned. She has worked her butt off to get where she is and I really don't think she will push it. She wouldn't find another job in this town after that. She may be a bit crazy right now, but she isn't stupid."

"I hope not. Hey, I am exhausted. I think I'm going to go lay down. I should probably call and let Callie know about this. I'm not about to keep it from her."

"I don't blame you. Again, I'm sorry. I didn't intend for her to come in."

"I told you, it's ok. Really."

Arizona goes back to the guest room and calls Callie.

"Hey, sweetheart. You must really miss me," Callie says, answering the phone. After all, they just talked not too long ago.

"Hey, sweetie. I do, but that's not why I called."

"Oh. What's wrong? Everything ok?"

"Um. Addie had a visitor tonight. It was Cameron.

"What?"

"Yeah. She had some stuff of yours that she found. She said it was in her bedroom."

"Arizona, I told you I never slept with her. I meant that. I promise you. She is just trying to get under your skin."

"I know that. I'm not asking you to defend yourself. It seems like that's all you've done lately. I'm not upset with you."

"I'm sorry you had to see her again. I've been here for months though. I wonder why she is just now dropping stuff off?"

"I don't know. Addie and I had the same question after she left. I told her if she came near us again though, we would file for a restraining order. She's borderline crazy. She thought she should be able to talk to you. I mean, what does she even think that would accomplish. She even admitted to mailing the dissolution papers."

"Wow. I don't know what to say. She is turning out to be a piece of work. I promise she hasn't always been crazy. I just, I can't believe she is acting the way she is."

"Addie pretty well said the same thing. Look, it's getting late. I just wanted you to know. And know I did threaten her with a restraining order. Addie thinks she well for sure back off now, because of her job."

"I would agree. She worked hard to get where she is. That could end her. I think it was a good move to threaten her with it though."

"Let's just hope it works. Well, I'm going to lay down. It has been a long day and it will be another long day tomorrow."

"Ok. I hope you know how much I love you." Arizona can hear the smile Callie is wearing as she says that, making her smile too. Who knew you could hear a smile, but it does something to one's voice, that it doesn't have to be seen to know it's there.

"I do know that. I love you too."

"I'll talk to you tomorrow. I'll call when we get back from the movie."

"Ok. Good night, Calliope."

"Goodnight." Arizona lays down and puts her phone on the charger. She is totally exhausted and it doesn't take her long before she is fast asleep.

The next evening, Addie and Arizona have just finished another long day. Usually Addie doesn't take time off to escort her Bella's authors, but she made an exception for Arizona. As they walk into Addie's large apartment, they are greeted by a warming site.

"Hey guys, it's about time you made it back!" Callie says, standing up and walking over to Arizona.

"Mommy!" Zac runs and gives Arizona a hug.

"Hey! Oh my gosh! What are you guys doing here? You weren't supposed to be here until tomorrow evening."

"We missed you mommy and Callie says if you miss somebody, then you just need to go see them. So, we came to see you." Zac gives her hugs and then watches Addie. He lifts his little hand and smiles. "Hi Addie."

"Hey Zac," Addie smiles, as she waves at him. She can see why Callie is smitten with the little guy. He is adorable in every way.

"Really, Callie, I'm not complaining, but why are you guys here so early?"

"Well, like Zac said. If you miss someone, you just need to go and see them. So, we did," she says smiling, leaning in to give Arizona a kiss.

"I'm not about to complain," Arizona says smiling.

"Well, we haven't had a chance to eat yet, so how about we all go out and eat?" Addie asks.

"Actually, that sounds good," Callie says. "I think I know just the place, too."

A few hours later, Callie is carrying Zac back in the door. Callie Took them to a café that has the best burgers and the biggest sundaes you can imagine. All four of them split the sundae and couldn't even come close to finishing it. Zac couldn't believe it. They had a huge ball pit and and an arcade. He had never seen anything like it.

"Calliope, I meant to ask you, had you been there to eat before?"

"Oh, no," she laughed. "I was searching for places to eat on the plane and ran across it. I was never something I would have looked for before, but it looked perfect."

She continues to the guest room where she already has a small inflatable matress set up. They get Zac situated and turn the lights off. Callie stands in the doorway and watches him for a minute and Arizona comes up behind her wraps her arms around her.

"You are such a wonderful momma to him."

Callie smiles, leans back into Arizona. "I can't imagine my life without him now, you know? I just... I can't believe how much I love him. He is an amazing little boy and so much like his mommy."

"What if I said I'm ready now?"

"What? Ready for what?"

"Another baby."

Turning around, Callie is wide-eyed. "What? I mean, I know we said we would like to do it soon, but, you are ready now?"

"Yes, I'm ready now. I don't want to wait. I watch you with him, and I just, I fall in love with you all over again. They way you love me and the way you love him, I just, I want to share that with more babies. I don't want to wait."

"Really? I mean, you don't think we should wait until after we get Zac's adoption behind us. If they even approve me..." Callie looks down. "It's been weeks now and we haven't heard anything. I'm starting to wonder if they are going to let me, at all."

"First of all, Mrs. Torres, that is a process that takes time. We knew it would probably take several months. So, it really hasn't been that long when you look at it that way. Secondly, she hasn't been back for her follow-up visits, and when she comes back, she will realize how good for him you are. You are worried about nothing."

"I hope so. I don't know what I'll do if they turn my request down."

"If they do, then we try again. But, we won't need to. They will see that you are the best thing that has happened to him."

"I hope so," Callie says pulling Arizona closer.

"Calliope, I want to do this now. I don't want to wait. Since we have been back together, our motto has been 'why wait' and I don't want to wait for this either. I love you, you love me, and we want a baby. So, let's do it. Let's make an appointment. I want to have your baby."

Smiling, Callie says, "Arizona, I'd love for you to have my baby." She puts her hands on either side of Arizona's face, pulling her in for a passionate kiss.

A minute later, they hear, "Hey now!" Addie is walking out of her room, covering her eyes. "I'd say get a room, but there is a kid in there," she says laughing.

As Callie and Arizona break apart, they start laughing. Looking at Addie, Callie says, "We are going to try to have a baby!"

"Really?" After gets two nods in confirmation, Addie says, "Congratulations. You guys are going to make the most beautiful family ever."

"Well, we hope the next one doesn't come out with three eyes and antennas sticking out the top of her head," Callie says.

"Her, huh?" Arizona smiles.

"Or him. You know, either one." Callie smiles.

"Yeah, a little Calliope would be amazing," Arizona says.

"Ok, getting ahead of yourselves, you two." Addie laughs. You gotta make the little squirt first.

"True," Callie laughs.

"How about some wine to celebrate? I have a bottle that you will love."

"Sounds great!" Callie says.

"Yeah, I better drink now while I can," Arizona laughs.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Stopping at the store on her way home from work, Callie is grabbing what she needs to make dinner tonight. Barbara and the Colonel are supposed to come over. She hasn't told Arizona yet, for fear that Barbara will back out at the last minute.

Deciding she is going to go with her basic southern meal, she decides on fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and rolls. She collects the necessary items and heads for the register, where she runs into Tim.

"Hey stranger! What are you doing here?" Callie asks Tim.

"I'm assuming the same thing you are doing," Tim laughs.

"Well, I'm glad I ran into you. I was going to text you when I got home anyway. Are you busy tonight?"

"Nope. Just fixing this Hungry Man," he says, holding up a frozen dinner.

"Then why don't you have dinner with us. I sort of invited your parents and Arizona doesn't know yet. And it might be nice to have everyone there, since we haven't been able to have a family dinner yet."

"Wait, Arizona doesn't know? And how did you get mom to come? The Colonel blindfolding her?"

"No, you dummy. I went and talked to her the other night. Told her that we are moving on with our lives and that she will be missing out. She doesn't want to keep missing out on Zac growing up. So, she agreed to dinner."

"Why didn't you tell Arizona?"

"Because, I'm still afraid your parents will back out, and I don't want her to be hurt all over again. I figured it would be better to tell her, you know, when they get there."

"So she doesn't know you talked to mom at all?"

"No, I didn't want her to get upset for no reason. If they don't come, it was all for nothing anyway."

"I would agree with that. What time? Your cooking is way better than frozen food any day!"

"Six. Thanks, Tim. I appreciate it. Let's just hope it works out."

"Sounds good. See you then."

A few hours later, and Callie has dinner almost done. Arizona and Zac have been out working around the barn, trying to work on the fence, when she yells out for them to come get cleaned up for dinner. She is a little nervous because it's about fifteen until six and Tim and her parents should be here shortly. She is really hoping that Arizona isn't too upset that she talked to her mom and didn't tell her.

While Arizona and Zac are upstairs getting washed up, Tim and his parents all arrive at the same time. Tim makes his way to the door and holds it open for his parents to walk in, while Callie meets them at the door.

"Barbara, Colonel, glad you could make it." Callie smiles, anxious as to how the evening will go.

"It's good to be here," the Colonel proudly states, grabbing Barbara's hand and smiling.

"Oh, Tim, glad you could make it too," Tim mocks her.

"Shut up. You know we are always happy to see you," she shoves his shoulder as the Colonel and Barb make their way in.

"If you guys want to head for the table, Arizona and Zac will be down in a minute. They are just getting washed up."

They all head for the table and have a seat as Callie takes drink requests and gets everyone situated. About the time Callie pours something for herself and Arizona, Arizona and Zac come walking into the kitchen.

"Calliope, who are you talking..." Her words die out as she sees her family sitting around the table, and the Colonel stands up.

"There's my girl and handsome grandson!"

"Dad, mom... Tim. I didn't know you guys were coming." Arizona looks to Callie but Callie just gives her a sheepish grin, not quit able to tell how Arizona feels about this just yet.

"What? She invited us last week," the Colonel offered.

"Oh, well, we were so busy, with the trip to New York, it slipped my mind at first. And then I was going to mention it today, but I decided I just wanted to surprise her. So... Surprise?" Callie says, looking at Arizona."

"Oh, it's a pleasant surprise. Mom, it's good to see you."

"You too, dear."

"Granny! I missed you," Zac says, running to give her a hug.

"Oh, I missed you too. So, so much," Barb says, picking Zac up, giving him kisses.

Tim looks at Callie and smiles. He is glad his parents have shown up and that it looks like it's going to work out.

"Well, Arizona, here's you some tea, have a seat. Dinner is all ready."

"It smells delicious," she says, leaning in to give Callie a kiss. Pulling back, she whispers 'thank you' in Callie's ear."

Callie just winks and gives her a kiss on the cheek. "Let's eat. I'm starving. I didn't get lunch today," Callie smiles.

"What? Why not?" Arizona says.

"Oh, it was just busy. I had some stuff to catch up on from Friday and we had a I had a final edit meeting with one of our authors. It made me wish everyone was as easy as you."

"I'm not that easy Calliope. You make me sound like a floozy."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Callie laughs.

"Callie, Daniel was telling me you just opened up new offices close to the college."

"Yeah, we did. Addie, my boss, was looking to expand anyway, so she thought opening an office a little further south might work out. And so far, it is fantastic. Not everyone likes to head to the Big Apple to get work done. This gives them options. It's going so well in fact, that we might have to see about hiring more staff. We started discussing that today."

"Really?" Arizona asks.

"Yeah, we are starting to get appointments booked so far out that we may have to hire another editor. It's looking like it may be too much for me to do alone. So Addie and I are starting to talk about it."

"Well, that's fantastic."

"You know what's also fantastic?" Callie asks.

"What's that?"

"Well, I was going to tell you today, but wanted to surprise you with your family here. Guess who has made it into the New York Time's best sellers list?"

"What?"

"That's right. Arizona Torres just made her first appearance!"

"Oh my god! That's... really?"

"Yes," Callie says, laughing. I knew you could do it!"

"Arizona," her mom says. "I'm so proud of you. I know we both are," she says, looking at the Colonel.

"You bet your tooshie we are," the Colonel says, looking at Zac and winking.

"Gramps said 'tooshie'" Zac giggles, causing everyone to laugh.

Dinner continues and everything is going well. Barbara is talking and joining in on the conversation. If one didn't know better, you wouldn't ever guess this is the first time they have all been together in months.

After dinner, Callie instructs everyone to go have a seat in the living room while she gets things cleaned up. As everyone makes their way out of the kitchen, Barbara is the last to get up.

"Callie,"

Callie turns around to face Barbara after putting some dishes in the sink. "Yes?"

"I want to thank you. You didn't have to come over the other day, but you did. And I am so glad you did. I have been rather difficult, and I'm sorry for causing you two so much grief. I can see how much you love her, and if she is happy, that's all that matters. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to see that. Their happiness is all that matters to me, and if you make her happy, then that's good enough for me."

"Thank you. I love your daughter and grandson. They mean the world to me and I will do everything in my power to make them happy."

"That's all that matters," Barbara says.

"Well, get into the living room before your daughter comes back looking for you, I'll be there shortly."

After everyone has left for the evening and Zac is in bed, Arizona walks in to find Callie laying in her jammies, with her hair pulled up, with a book in her hand. She watches her for a minute before saying, "Calliope, you are the sexiest woman I have ever... laid eyes on."

"Oh, stop it. We just spent the weekend in New York. I know for a fact there were plenty that were sexier than me."

"Not a chance. I didn't notice a single one."

"Arizona, you are such a flirt."

"I wasn't even trying."

"I know. That's what makes you dangerous. I don't know how you kept women off of you all those years."

"Well, you being out of sight didn't mean you were out of mind. I know that sounds cheesy," Arizona says as she sits down on the bed., "but it's true. The ladies could have been throwing themselves at me and it wouldn't have mattered."

Callie sits her book down and then pulls out something from the bedside table. "Here, I got bought you something the other day."

"Calliope, you didn't have to get me anything."

"I know. But, I was kind of selfish when I bought it."

As she hands Arizona the small package, Arizona opens it and smiles.

"It's a locket. It's beautiful Calliope," she says, as she examines it. It was square shaped with a beautiful flower design on the front. It was gold and placed on a delicate chain.

"Yep. Open it."

When she opens it, she finds a picture of Zac on one side and then an empty spot on the other.

"I love it. And you already have Zac's picture in it."

"I do. And I made sure it had another spot on the opposite side for another picture. I bought it the next day after our conversation about having another baby. During your signing when I took Zac out for lunch, we might have done a little shopping too. So, I'm selfish because I really hope that sometime soon, we can add another picture to your locket."

"Oh, Calliope. I hope so. I love it. I love you, so much. I just, there are no words. And tonight, Callie, I can't believe you went and convinced my mom to come."

"I'm sorry for not telling you. I hope you aren't mad that I talked to her. Or invited them over. To be honest, I was afraid to tell you and then have her change her mind. So, I kept it to myself, except to ask Tim to come too. I didn't know if we would need a buffer or not."

"Calliope, I'm not mad. Not at all. I'm so thankful that you love us enough to have even done that. I appreciate you doing that for us."

"I would do anything for you guys. And your mom even apologized. I can't believe tonight went as well as it did."

"Well, I would say that the Colonel talked to her after you did, too. He just needed her to be ready to listen to him. And if it weren't for you, that probably wouldn't have happened. So, thank you."

"Like I said, anything for you guys."

Arizona leans over and gives Callie a kiss and then pulls back. She turns around and hands the locket to Callie. "Can you put it on me?"

"I would love to," Callie says smiling. "And that's weird, because usually I would like to take things off you."

Arizona laughs and leans back into Callie after her locket is put on.

"Now that we have decided to go ahead and try, do you want me to call and get us an appointment set up?" Arizona asks.

"Yeah. That would be great."

"Do you want to use the same specialist we used before? It's actually who I used the last time as well."

"Yeah, I don't blame you. She was great."

"Yeah, she really knows her stuff. And it will be a little more complicated this time, with using your eggs."

"Are you sure that's what you want to do, Arizona? Because we don't have to do it that way."

"I know. But I want to. We have no guarantees it will work, obviously, but if It's at all possible to have a mini-Calliope, then that's what I want to do."

"Ok then. Call and get it set up as soon as you want. We will work around whenever you are able to get it."

"I can't wait. Going through everything with the twins, it was so exciting when we first found out. With Zac, it was exciting, but a part of me hurt, because you weren't here."

"Do you have pictures? From where you were pregnant?"

"Ugh, yes," Arizona groans. "My mom was taking pictures every time I turned around. She made a scrapbook for me. I hate looking at myself all fat so I keep it hid," Arizona says laughing.

"Can I see it?"

"Oh, you really don't want to see that."

"Yes, I do I'm sure you were radiant."

"I was something, but I don't think radiant describes it," Arizona says laughing, getting up. She walks to the closet pulls a scrapbook off the top shelf and walks back over to the bed.

"The closet. Really? Why on earth would you keep it in there?"

"Because, there are only a few pictures of Zac at the end and it's not like anybody wanted to see pregnant pictures. So, I keep it up here."

Callie takes the scrapbook and opens it up. The first several you can't tell that she is even pregnant, but by the fourth page into it, you can see that Arizona is starting to show. Callie flips the page and says, "Wow. How much time was between this," she says pointing to and earlier picture, "and this," she says pointing to the picture she just pointed to.

"Um, don't laugh, but that was onlly about a month."

"Oh my goodness. When you started to show, you really started to show. So you were what, about 4 months?"

"Yep. I was huge then and just kept getting bigger," Arizona laughs. "Now you see why I keep it in the closet."

"Arizona, you look amazing.," Callie says, flipping through the book. She comes across a few from what look to be a baby shower. "Looks like you had a big shower," Callie says, noticing the crowd.

"Um, yeah, I guess. It was at April's. Lot of girls from high school and the college showed up along with a lot of our moms' friends."

"Mom had her friends come?"

"Uh, yeah. She was there through it all. She didn't miss much of anything," Arizona fondly recalls.

"I still can't believe she didn't ever once mention it. I mean, I get why she didn't, but seeing how involved she was, you would have thought she would have at least let something slip."

"What would you have done different, even if you knew?" Arizona asks.

"I... I don't know. I mean, even if she told me, you hadn't. I don't know. I really don't know."

"You not being there is my only regret Calliope. I wanted so much for you to be there. I thought about telling you more than I would ever admit to, I guess. I wanted you with me so badly. My dreams were coming true, but only is parts, you know? Because my dreams always had you there with me. I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to carrying your baby. I always thought it would be one of us carrying our own, but this, this is so much better than my dreams. To actually try to carry your baby. I know we haven't even started, but I already feel so much closer to you. I can't even imagine how I'll feel once it happens."

"What if it doesn't happen the way we hope though? What if there are problems and it doesn't work. I mean, I'm not a doctor but I know it isn't guaranteed."

"If we go through several attempts and it doesn't work, then we will try it with my eggs. And then, we take it from there. But, let's not worry about it when we haven't even started yet, ok?"

"Ok." Callie closes the scrapbook and sits it on the bedside table.

"Why don't we pretend we need to practice," Callie says, reaching to pull Arizona on top of her. Wiggling her eyebrows, she says, "You know, just because we aren't doing it the old fashion way doesn't mean we should miss out on the practice part."

"Mm.., I think I like the sound of that," Arizona grins.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"Arizona, where are the van keys? We are going to be late!"

"I saw them in the kitchen!" Arizona yells from upstairs. "We can take my car though!"

"That's ok, I found them! Come on!"

"I'm coming! We couldn't find Zac's other shoe. It was under the bed," Arizona says, finally making her way down the stairs with Zac right behind her.

"You guys look adorable, but we are going to be late Callie leans down and gives Zac a kiss on the cheek and then leans in to give Arizona one. Arizona has dressed her and Zac to match. Arizona has on a royal blue house with frilly sleeves and Zac has on a royal blue, white, and yellow plaid shirt with khaki shorts. They looked like they were ready for pictures.

Callie has been a wreck all day long though. They have a consult with the doctor this afternoon and she is more anxious than what she thought she would be.

"Honey, relax. We have plenty of time."

I know, for now. But the longer you take, the less time we…" Callie is cut off by a knock on the door.

"Who is that? We weren't expecting anyone. And now, we are going to be late."

"I wasn't expecting anyone. Open it," Arizona says.

"Ugh. This better be quick," Callie huffs, opening the door.

As Callie opens the door, she is greeted by Ronnie Myers, the case worker.

"Good afternoon ladies. And Zac…," Ronnie says smiling. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I thought I would just drop by for a few minutes and just check in with you guys. See how everything is going."

"Actually,…" Callie starts, but is interrupted by Arizona.

"Actually, it's a great time. We were just going to go for a walk around the lake. Would you care to join us?"

"Oh, that sounds wonderful!" Ronnie looks excited by the prospect of a walk.

"Yes, please. Join us," Callie awkwardly smiles, looking back to Arizona.

"You know, I just remembered that I left my camera upstairs. Let me run and grab it and I will be right back," Arizona smiles, looking at Ronnie.

"Um, we will just be waiting on the porch," Callie says, wondering where the hell Arizona thinks she is running off to, leaving her alone with Ronnie.

Arizona just smiles back and takes off for the bedroom.

"So, Zac, do you like going for walks by the lake?" Ronnie asks, looking at Zac.

"Yep. And we are getting ready to get some animals too! Mommy wants chickens."

"Really. What kind of animals do you want?"

"I want a goat. I really want two, but mommy said we will have to see."

"I bet animals are a lot of work."

"Yeah, but they are pretty darn cute," Zac says, causing Ronnie to laugh.

"So, does Callie want any animals?" Ronnie asks.

"She says she wants a paca," right Callie?" He turns to look at Callie, expectantly.

"It's an alpaca, but you are absolutely right," Callie smiles at him. "But, I told you we need to finish the fence and get mommy's chickens and your goat first. Then we will see about the alpaca."

"Well, we need to hurry and get that fence done," Zac says, nodding his head.

"You are indeed correct," Callie smiles, wishing to goodness that Arizona would hurry up.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Arizona has her camera in one hand and her phone in the other, placing a call.

 _"Hello, this is Arizona Torres. My wife, Calliope, and I had an appointment this afternoon. We have had an emergency come up and will not be able to make it in time. Can I possibly reschedule for later in the week? Oh, is that the earliest one you have available? Yeah, I'll hold."_

Arizona walks to the window and looks down to see Callie fidgeting with her hands and swaying back and forth. She hates to not be there with her but wants to make sure the appointment is taken care of. Callie was a nervous wreck before Ronnie got here.

 _"Yes, I'm still here. Oh, tomorrow would be wonderful! Oh, I'm glad they cancelled to. Yes. Thank you so much. Yes, we will see you tomorrow. Thank you, again. Bye."_

"Ok, time to go rescue my wife," Arizona says, running down the stairs, walking out onto the porch and down the steps, where they are waiting.

"Sorry about that, I couldn't remember where I put it," Arizona says sheepishly.

"Oh, no trouble at all. We were just talking about the animals you want to get. Zac tells me there are chickens, a goat and a paca coming," Ronnie says, chuckling.

"Ah yes, the paca," Arizona laughs. Callie decided to add the alpaca onto the list the other day when we were down there working on the fence. Zac has been having some trouble remembering how to say it."

"I thought it was adorable," Ronnie says, smiling at Zac.

"So, are we ready? To head to the lake?" Callie, still fidgeting with her hands, reaches down to grab Zac's hand.

"Yeah, let's go! I wanna show the lady where we are going to put the animals!"

"Zac, honey, her name is Ronnie," Callie says, ruffling his hair.

"Oh, it's ok. I've been called worse," Ronnie says laughing, trying to ease the tension. She can tell Callie is nervous. She can't blame her though, she sees this every day with prospective adoptive parents. She tries to make it an easy process for them but understands the gravity of the situation.

"Callie, how have things been going? It looks like you are getting settled in and adjusted nicely. Work going well?"

"Oh, um, yeah. We opened our office here and business is already better than what we thought, so we are looking into hiring another editor. I don't want this to turn into long hours because we don't have enough help. I can see it heading in that direction and I don't want it to even become an issue if it can be helped. I try to be out of the office by four or five every day. I think being home for dinner is important."

"Family dinners were always important to both of us growing up, so we want to make sure our kids have that as well," Arizona adds.

"You said kids. Do you want more?"

"Yeah," Arizona says, looking at Callie, hoping she picks up on Arizona wanting her to take over this question, and, to Arizona's delight, she does.

"Actually, we are getting ready to start the process of trying for another one," she says, looking at Arizona and smiling. "After the car accident I was in, I'm unable to carry again. Our plan is to use my eggs and let Arizona carry."

"Oh, well, that sounds exciting," Ronnie says. "You two don't waste time, do you?" She laughs.

"You learn not to," Arizona says. We know first-hand, all too well, how quickly a life can be lost. We don't want to look back and say we should have done this or that sooner. We know what we want, so why wait?"

"You have a point there," she says, looking around the lake. "It's beautiful down here. I can see why you like to come down here."

"It is. It's actually where we were first married. We thought it was amazing. We were married at sunset. It was just a small wedding with family and a few friends. We didn't want a big, fancy wedding, and we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. We have some beautiful pictures from that day," Callie says, smiling.

"I can imagine," she says, looking around. "Zac, why don't you show me where you are going to put these animals," she says looking at the little blonde.

"Can I Callie?"

"Sure thing, buddy." Callie lets go of his hand so he can show Ronnie the barn.

As they walk away, Callie looks to Arizona and starts to panic.

"Arizona, we are going to miss the appointment. I can't believe, of all the days, she picks today, right before our appointment."

"Relax, I..."

"I can't relax! It's going to mess everything up." Callie begins to panic.

"Calliope," Arizona says grabbing her by the shoulders. "That's why I wanted to go upstairs and get the camera. By doing that, I had time to call and reschedule. We go tomorrow afternoon at four, providing you can get away from work in time."

"Arizona, you are a genius. You know I'll reschedule whatever I need to in order to be there. You always come first."

"Good, that's what a lady wants to hear."

"Well, if I recall, you weren't being very lady like this morning," Callie smirks. "As a matter of fact, I think you were more of a sailor with what was coming out of your mouth."

Leaning in towards Callie's ear, so as not to be overheard at all, Arizona says, "It's only because of what you were doing with your mouth."

"Arizona, I swear," Callie leans in to whisper in Arizona's ear, "if we were alone, I'd take you right here."

Arizona leans back, laughing. "It doesn't take much to get you wound up, does it?"

"Not from you. With you, it only takes a look."

"Well, I think we probably ought to check on those two. I didn't figure the tour of the barn would take this long."

"Ok. Arizona, tonight, can we maybe have a repeat of this morning? That was just… hot."

"You just say when," Arizona says walking backwards towards the barn watching Callie follow her.

The next afternoon, Arizona drops Zac off to her mom for some quality time together. Arizona doesn't tell her mom what they are doing, only that she had a meeting with Callie. Her mom took it as a work meeting and Arizona didn't correct her, not wanting a million questions every day until they manage to get pregnant. They discussed waiting until something was confirmed until they tell their parents.

Arriving at the doctor's office, Arizona is reminded of being here for her initial consult the last time she decided to get pregnant. She is so glad she will have Callie with her this time.

As soon as she registers and has a seat, Callie comes in. "Hey, sorry I'm late," Callie says, taking the seat next to her.

"You aren't late. I'm early," Arizona says leaning in to give Callie a kiss.

"Did you register me too?"

"Yep. All done. Now all we do is wait."

"So, we start interviews tomorrow for the other editor's job."

"Really? How many do you have?"

"Three. There were more applicants but they were all fresh out of school. We would rather have someone with a little more experience though, so, I'm starting out with the three that have the most experience and then we will filter on to the ones I left out."

"Well, hopefully you won't need to."

"Arizona and Callie Torres." The nurse at the door is holding two folders, looking out at the waiting room expectantly.

"Hey, that's us," Callie smiles, standing up, holding her hand out for Arizona.

Both women are taken into separate exam rooms. They both had blood work done last week so that those results would be ready for today's visit. After their exams, they are then escorted to the doctor's office so they can meet with the doctor to go over the results together.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," Callie says.

"No, not at all. The nurse said the doctor wouldn't be too long."

"She told me the same thing. You know, now that I'm not all nervous, I think the visit yesterday with Ronnie went very well."

"It did. I don't think it will take her long to get the last visit in. She made it sound like we might even get a heads up on the next one."

"Yeah, that was my impression too. I think that we should probably sit down with Zac and talk to him about everything. I mean, what if he doesn't want me to be his momma?

"We can sit him down and explain it all, but are you kidding me Calliope? That kid adores you. I love that you worry so much about everyone, but you don't need to worry about this. Trust me."

Callie nods as the door opens and the doctor walks in.

"Ok ladies, we doing ok in here?" Dr. Elliot asks, as she sits down behind her desk.

"Yeah, just ready to hear what you think," Arizona says as Callie reaches for her hand.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Callie pulls out of the parking lot, exhausted after a long day at work. The interviews went well and she could honestly hire any of them. One in particular stood out from the rest but she is going to think about it another day or so before she makes the offer.

She takes a minute to stop and reflect on the last couple of months. It has been a whirlwind. She has a wife that she loves so very much, she has a little boy that she hopes to be able to call hers soon. And after the appointment last night, she hopes to have another son or daughter on the way very soon.

Thinking back to the appointment yesterday, she has to smile. Sometimes, doctors deliver heartbreaking news. Sometimes, they tell you things you don't want to hear, but have to accept. Sometimes, the stars align and things work out perfectly. Yesterday was one of those visits.

 _Yesterday..._

 _"So, I have to be honest with you two. I do have a concern. I'm not sure how the world is going to be able to handle another gorgeous Torres child," Dr. Elliot says smiling._

 _"You mean, everything looks good?"_

 _"It looks fantastic so far."_

 _"Oh, that's such a relief!" Arizona turns to Callie and gives her a kiss on the lips, much to Dr. Elliot's surprise._

 _"I see that's good news then?" Dr. Elliot laughs._

 _"It's wonderful. We have been so worried," Callie says, wiping a tear._

 _"Well, no need for tears here. Like I said, everything looks about as fantastic as it could get. Now, you both know, having been down this road before, that things don't always go as smoothly as we hope, and sometimes, fate has a way of taking us on a different course as we get further along into this. So, we go into hoping for a positive outcome, but as you know, we may have to address issues if they arise."_

 _"Yeah, we have definitely done our research," Callie says._

 _"Well, we have nothing to be worried about right at this time. We are going to start you on injections, both of you. Callie, we are going to try to increase your egg production and Arizona, we will start you on some injections to get your uterus ready. Both of you have been through the whole process before but this time, we also have to start you on something to sync your cycles. It all sounds more complicated than what it is. So, the only thing left for you to decide is if and when you want to do it."_

 _"We definitely want to," Arizona says, looking to Callie to confirm._

 _"Yes, we definitely do," Callie smiles._

 _"Well, then you just need to decide when, and then it says here you are using the same donor as you have used in the previous pregnancies?"_

 _"Yes. We don't want to fix what isn't broken," Callie answers._

 _"Well, then when you are ready, we will get you started and see you back in about six weeks after that."_

 _"We're ready now!" Arizona says excitedly, leaning into Callie._

 _"Ok. If only all the patients we had were this easy," Dr. Elliot laughs._

Pulling into the driveway, she still can't keep from smiling. She and Arizona decided that they would sit Zac down tonight and talk to him about the adoption. Knowing he won't understand most of, the point will be to see how he feels about having Callie for a momma.

Walking into the house, it seems quiet. She makes her way into the living room and finds Arizona and Zac asleep on the couch. He is cuddled up next to her and there are several books scattered about, with Arizona's laptop laying on the floor. Arizona is actually already at work on her next project, saying she is more inspired than she has ever been.

Deciding she will go ahead and fix dinner, she heads to the kitchen to try to figure out what to fix, when her phone begins to ring.

 _"Hey Addie, what's up?"_

 _"Hey, I was wondering how the interviews went today."_

 _"Oh, they went well. I think I narrowed it down to the one I want. She has worked for 10 years at another company and is looking to get closer to her family. She has more experience than any of them, and I think our visions aligned more with hers than the other two. Her name is Erica Hahn."_

 _"Where does she work now?"_

 _"Hudson Publishing."_

 _"Just hire her. If she has been working there, we should probably be glad she is wanting to work for us. They have been putting out some great stuff lately. And you know as well as I do, that's largely thanks to the editors."_

 _"I am not going to toot my own horn, Addie."_

 _"Speaking of tooting your own horn, how did you go without sex for so many years? I haven't seen Teddy in a few weeks and I feel like I'm going to explode."_

 _Laughing, Callie says, "Well, you learn to toot your own horn. You'll live, I promise."_

 _"I like it when she toots my horn for me. I need to plan a trip. Maybe surprise her. Oh, I need to go oversees for a quick trip to the offices there. Maybe she can go with me. I've been thinking I want to make us... official."_

 _"Wow, you really like her?"_

 _"Yeah, I really do. I know we aren't in the same place, geographically, but I can travel back and forth more. At least for now. And if things keep going well, relocation isn't out of the question for me. I can work from there as easy as I can work from here."_

 _"Addie, I never thought you would be the type to settle down with a woman."_

 _"Callie, she is pretty special. She is beautiful, funny, and the sex... I never knew it could be this good."_

 _"I am happy for you, I really am."_

 _"So, how is married life treating you? And any word on the adoption?"_

 _"Married life couldn't be any better. We had another surprise visitor from Ronnie, the case worker, last night. I think it went well. She said there would be at least one more visit but it sounded like she would give us a heads up on the next one. I am so happy right now, but I'm a constant ball of nerves too. Arizona is too hopeful to consider the possibility they won't approve it. But my past is really working against me."_

 _"You make it sound like you are a criminal or something."_

 _"It's not that, but she said at the first visit that I'm kind of a 'flight risk'. It just has me worried. I mean, I know I'm not going anywhere, but my past doesn't support me on that, you know?"_

 _"Worrying about it won't change anything. You just hope they can see you for who you are now. You had terrible things happen to you. You just didn't decide to up and leave. I'm sure that will be taken into consideration. Does Zac understand what's going on, at all?"_

 _"No, not yet. We are going to talk to him tonight. Not as much about the adoption, just about me being his momma. I want to see what he even thinks of that. He might not like the thought of it. Most of it is above his head right now, but he is still a tremendously bright little boy. He really is amazing Addie. You should hear him while we are reading. We have been working with him, and he is already starting to sound out words. He is going to be reading before he even starts school. He is just, so amazing."_

 _"And that right there, is why the adoption will go through. You love that little boy and anyone with eyes can see it. And he loves you too. He will be thrilled to have two mommies. Just wait. I understand why you are nervous, I do. But, I agree with Arizona. Be hopeful. I'm sure it will all be fine. You know, she doesn't just tell you stuff because she thinks you want to hear it. She says it because she means it."_

 _"Thanks Addie. Arizona tries to reassure me, but sometimes I worry that she is the only one who thinks it. I just don't want to let either of them down. Arizona has been so good to me Addie. There are just, no words. I hope if Teddy is the one for you, that you end up as happy as we are."_

 _"Me too. Listening to you has convinced me to ask her to go to the oversees office with me. Maybe if I pour on the charm, I can convince her to give it a go."_

 _"I'm sure you won't have to twist her arm," Callie laughs._

 _"I hope no. So, offer that Hahn woman the job and if she doesn't accept, we can talk the other two through if you need to."_

 _"Ok. Thanks Addie. Talk to you soon."_

 _"Bye, Callie. Everything will work out."_

 _"Thanks. See you soon."_

As she ends the call, she continues to work on dinner, deciding on some tacos for the evening. Addie was right, if Erica Hahn is good enough to work where she is now, they will be lucky to have her, so she pulls out the file from her satchel and places the call, as she continues to chop the lettuce and tomato.

 _"Hello, is this Erica Hahn?"_

 _"Yes, it is."_

 _"This is Callie Torres, from Bellas Historias. I was calling to say that I was very impressed with your interview today, and that the job is yours if you want it."_

 _"Yes! I mean, yes, I would love the job."_

 _"Great! You said you could start as early as next week, so I will leave that up to you. You can start next week or please feel free to take a full two weeks and you can start the week after."_

 _"No, next week is fine. This is my last week here, so I am heading back home over the weekend. Next week is perfect."_

 _"Well, I will see you next Monday then. We will spend the morning filling out paperwork and going over some things. I be working in the mean-time to get clients divided up between now and then, so you can get right to work."_

 _"Sounds great. I'll see you first thing Monday morning. I'm really looking forward to working with you."_

 _"Same here. I'll see you Monday."_

Just as she hung up the phone, Arizona walks in the kitchen, toting a sleepy-looking Zac. "Hey babe, who will you see Monday?"

 _"_ Oh, we had the interviews today, and I just offered someone the job. Her name is Erica Hahn."

 _"_ Well, you must have really liked her to offer her the job that quick."

 _"_ She interviewed really well. Her vision for her work aligns with ours pretty well, and she is coming from Hudson Publishing, so Addie said to go with her. Hudson is on a roll right now and she was good with the choice."

 _"_ Great. Yeah, they are a big deal right now, lots of good stuff coming from them these days."

 _"_ You know, Bellas is pretty hot right now too. There is this new author who keeps climbing the top 100 chart. She is actually up to 45 this week?"

 _"_ What? Really?"

 _"_ Yes, really. You just wait, you aren't done yet. I actually have a surprise for you. I have you a radio interview lined up for this Friday, the day before your book signing in D.C. The interview will be broadcast on a nationally broadcast talk show."

 _"_ Do you always get this involved with your clients?"

 _"_ Absolutely not. This one though, I have a little extra involvement in."

"That's fine by me."

Putting down the knife, she walks over and gives Zac a kiss on the cheek, who has fallen back to sleep, and gives Arizona a kiss on the lips. She pulls them both in for a hug.

"Dinner is ready. You hungry?"

"Yes, I'm starving. Hey Zac, wake up, it's time to eat."

"Mm, I'm tired."

"I know buddy, but dinner is ready. Callie fixed tacos and they smell delicious."

That was enough to wake him up and Arizona gets him situated in his seat as Callie get his plate ready. They all sit down to eat and when they are finished, Arizona starts the conversation they had planned on having.

"Zac, Callie and I have something we would like to talk to you about."

"You want to talk about toys or trains?"

Laughing, Arizona says, "Neither. We want to talk to you about something really important."

"Ok," he says, noticing the seriousness on Arizona's face.

"You know how much mommy loves you, right?"

"Yep. I love you too."

"I know. You make me the happiest mommy in the world. And you know that Callie love you too, right?"

"Yep. She tells me all the time. I love her too."

"I know. And mommy loves that Callie love you and that you love her. That makes mommy very happy."

"Yeah, me too," he smiles.

"Well, what you would think about having Callie as your momma?"

"What do you mean? You are my mommy."

"Yeah, I am. But I am telling you that you can have two mommies. I'll be mommy and Callie can be momma. You know, it's pretty special to have two mommies. Two people who love you more than anyone else in the whole world."

"Really? I can have two?"

"You sure can. Is that ok with you?"

Callie has only listened to the conversation so far, letting Arizona take the lead in explaining everything. This question has her stomach in knots. She is more nervous than what she thought she would be during this conversation. She didn't realize the importance of a three-year old's decision until right at this second.

Zac turns to look at Callie and asks a very grown-up question. "Do you want to by my momma?"

Smiling at the smart little blonde with goofiest of smiles, she says, "Yes, I do. I want to be your momma more than anything."

"Ok."

"Ok?"

"Yep. Ok."

Trying to stifle a laugh and just how simple it was to this blue-eyed, dimpled, three-year old, Arizona smiles watching Callie. A look of relief replaces the worried look and Callie's eyes widen with realization that this little boy is ok with her being his momma.

"Calliope, you ok?" Arizona asks, as Callie still hasn't said anything.

"Um," wiping the tears that are now falling from her eyes, she just continues to nod yes. Arizona gets up and walks over to her, bending down on her knees and helping Callie wipe the tears that are now falling.

"Mommy, why is she crying? I didn't mean to make her sad."

"Oh, Zac, these aren't sad tears. These are happy tears. You made momma here, very happy."

"Well, when she starts crying, she always gets a runny nose, so you better get her a tissue."

Both women laugh at that, as Arizona stands to grab another paper towel. "We don't have tissues in here, but a paper towel will have to work.

"Zac, you are one lucky little boy," Arizona says to him as he scoots down out of his seat, as Arizona unbuckles him.

He walks over to Callie and looks up to her.

"You are really going to be my momma?"

"Yep. I really am. I am your momma, and I love you so very much."

"I love you too. So I can call you Momma instead of Callie?"

"You sure can sweetheart." Callie wipes the tears from her eyes once again as she looks to Arizona and gets a wide smile in return.

Callie picks Zac up and gives him a hug while Arizona watches, also getting tears in her eyes. This moment right here has been something she has hoped for, for three years. She can't believe how much she loves the two people in front of her, and how much they love each other. She can't wait to share this with another new little life.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

After a busy weekend away at another book signing, Callie walks into work Monday morning to find Erica Hahn standing at the door waiting for her.

"Good morning, Erica. You are here bright and early."

"Good morning, Callie. Yeah, I like to get started early. No sense in wasting the day away."

"I agree. I like to get in early so I can try to get home on time in the evenings."

As Callie unlocks the door, she holds it open so Erica can go ahead in. Callie catches up to her and instructs her where to go for her new office.

"Here we go," Callie says, walking in and turning the lights on. "I think we have everything ready for you. Um, I will give you a few minutes to get settled and whenever you are ready, just head to my office and we will get you started with the dreaded paper work," Callie laughs.

"Ok. Thanks. I'll see you in a few," Erica says, walking in and sitting her stuff down.

Callie heads to her office and gets her things in order. She hears her phone chime and picks it up to see a text from Arizona.

 _"Lunch? I can even bring it to you."_

 _"I will never pass up an opportunity to see my beautiful wife. Noon?"_

 _"That sounds good. I finish up at school early so I thought I would swing by."_

 _"Looking forward to it. Love you."_

 _"Love you too."_

Callie sets her phone down on the desk and logs into her computer. She checks her emails and then takes a minute to just take a breath. It ended up being a very busy weekend. Arizona had a book signing in DC on Saturday that she and Zac accompanied her to. While they love going with her, it is very hectic. Usually the promotion department schedules interviews to go along with the signings and it makes for a long and exhausting trip. From now on, she will probably keep Zac at home and make it easier. He loves going, but it totally wears him out too.

A few minutes later, her phone rings. When she picks it up, she is surprised to hear Ronnie on the other end.

 _"Callie, how are you today?"_

 _"I'm great. And you?"_

 _"I'm good. Listen, I need to make one more visit before we can schedule the court date. You ready to get this thing out of the way so we can get that done?"_

 _"Oh, I'm more than ready."_

 _"Would tonight or tomorrow work better for you? I know it is a Monday and those can be pretty hectic."_

 _"You are right, they usually are, but tonight would work out well."_

 _"Well, tonight it is then. Say around, six?"_

 _"That sounds perfect. We will look forward to seeing you."_

 _"Ok, see you then."_

Callie hangs up the phone and immediately sends Arizona a text, letting her know that Ronnie will be coming over tonight and then they will be able to set a court date. This is really happening and she couldn't be happier.

Both women have been on injections for a little over a week now, preparing for their big day that will hopefully happen next month if all goes well. Moodiness hasn't been an issue yet and Callie is more than ok with keeping it that way. She remembers all too well how she felt the first time they went through this.

Erica comes in a few minutes later and they spend time going over basic operating procedures around the office. She takes her to their HR department and has her fill out all the appropriate paperwork and then they head back to her office where they spend the next several hours going over different clients and where they are all at in their current projects.

They still seem to get along well and find that they even have some things in common. Before they know it, there is a knock on the door. They both look up to see Arizona standing in the doorway, one hand holding onto Zac and the other is holding a bag of take out.

"Hey," Arizona says, taking note of the new editor sitting in the room, holding a file.

"Hey guys! There's my two, favorite people!" Callie lays her folder down and proceeds to head over to see them, but not before Zac takes off running for her legs.

"Zac, slow down," Arizona cautions.

"Oh, he's ok," Callie smiles. "How's my boy?"

"I missed you," he says, wrapping his arms around Callie's neck as she picks him up.

"Oh, I missed you too. And I missed your mommy," she says, walking over to give Arizona a kiss.

"Hey, there," Arizona says.

"Hey, I didn't hear back from you. Did you get my text earlier?" Callie asks. She assumes Arizona didn't get the text it she would have been thrilled to hear that.

"No, what was it? It's been a hectic morning and I haven't pulled my phone back out of my purse since I texted you about lunch.

"Oh, Ronnie called. She will be by tonight at six. Last visit."

"Really? That's great!" Arizona beams.

"I know. We are getting closer," Callie says, with a wide smile.

"Oh, Arizona, come here," Callie says, as she leads her further into her office. "Arizona, this is Erica Hahn, our new editor. Erica, this is my wife, Arizona, and my son, Zac."

Erica smiles politely and stands up, reaching her hand out for Arizona to shake. "Arizona, it is nice to meet you. I've heard a LOT about you today."

"Sorry about that," Callie smiles sheepishly. "I guess I didn't realize I did that."

"Oh, it's no trouble. It was kind of sweet. At least for the first hour," Erica says, laughing.

"Well, I'll try to do better," Callie says, smiling. "Well, why don't we break for lunch and we can pick this back up, say in about forty-five minutes?"

"Sounds good. Arizona, is was nice to meet you. You too Zac," Erica says, laying her folder on the pile and leaving the room."

Arizona watches her walk out then says, "You could have asked her to stay. I have plenty."

"Nope. This is a pre-celebration lunch. I'm choosing to have nothing but positive thoughts for the rest of the day, and for that to happen, I need to focus on the two loves of my life right now."

"Well, I'll never complain about that," Arizona smiles, leaning in to give Calle another kiss. "Well, let's eat!"

After lunch is over, Arizona and Zac gather their stuff and head out. Arizona promises Callie that she will go home and make sure the house is ready for the last visit tonight. Arizona is as excited as Callie is. They can't wait to make their family legal in every sense.

A few minutes after Arizona leaves, Erica comes back in to finish going over the files they have.

"Your wife seems lovely. How long have you been married?"

"Oh, long story short, we were married in college. We separated for a few years but ended up getting remarried not too long ago. We kind of eloped that time, so we are thinking of renewing our vows in front of our family and friends. We haven't set a date for that yet, though."

"That sounds like an interesting story."

"Well, lots of heartache and tears in the middle, but we are in a fantastic place now."

"Well, that's what matters," Erica says nodding.

"Yep. So, where were we?" Callie asks, going through the stack of folders.

Later that evening, Ronnie comes for her visit just as promised.

"So, are you two ready to get this over with?"

"Yes!" Callie and Arizona both answer at the same time.

Laughing, Ronnie begins to tell them about where they stand. Tonight is just a formality, but paperwork will be put in tomorrow and they should receive a court date within the next week. While she can't comment on what her recommendation will be, she does tell them that they shouldn't be worried.

After she leaves, both women go and collapse on the living room couch.

"Well, I think that went well," Arizona says.

"Yeah, I think it did too. I'm glad we took the time to buy the outlet covers and that sort of thing. I didn't know whether she would check that kind of thing or not, and she did."

"Yeah, I had the same thought. I was glad we had done that as well. I know she couldn't tell us what her recommendation will be, but for her to tell us not to worry, I only see that as good news," Arizona nods, thinking back to the visit.

"Yeah, I just hope the judge we end up with agrees."

"They will. I have to say, it has been an extremely busy day. How did your afternoon go?"

"It went ok. I caught Erica up to speed on the clients she will be taking over. Hopefully she takes that and runs with it. I'll know more about that in a week or so. I think she will work out fine though."

"Is she married or anything?"

"You know, I talked about you all day, but I never asked her and she never volunteered the information. So , I don't know."

"Why?"

"No reason. Just curious."

"Usually you don't ask things like that though. Oh my gosh, did she wink at you or something when I turned around?"

"No," Arizona laughs. "I was just curious. Besides, if she was going to wink at either of us, it wouldn't be me."

"You are out of your mind. She was nothing but professional all day long."

"That's good then. So, guess what Teddy told me today."

"What's that?" Callie asks, reaching for Arizona's hand and giving it a kiss.

"She said that Addie asked her to go oversees with her next month."

"Oh, she actually asked.?"

"Wait, you knew about it?"

"She mentioned that she was thinking about asking but she never told me that she actually asked her."

"Oh, you should have told me."

"It's not like Addie and Teddy are on my mind a lot, I just forgot. What did Teddy tell her?"

"It was kind of funny I was in my office and could hear her yelling yes, when Addie asked her. I wasn't really sure what she was doing in there. Talking on the phone wouldn't have been my first guess though," Arizona says, laughing.

"Oh my gosh. You are ridiculous."

"No, she is. You should have heard her. She said it in such an orgasmic way. It almost made me blush."

"Well, that's saying something now, isn't it?" Callie laughs.

A few days later, and everything seems to be going well. Callie and Erica are getting along well and Erica is turning out to be quite the hire. She has been very productive and Callie couldn't be happier out how things are turning out.

"Hey, Erica, I'm going to meet Arizona for lunch today. You wanna come?"

"Oh, I don't want to intrude."

"You aren't at all. She is actually bringing a friend of hers. So, you aren't at all."

"If you are sure?"

"Absolutely."

The two women make their way to the car, and Callie offers to drive.

"I didn't have you pegged as the mini-van type," Erica smiles.

"Well, I wouldn't have either several months ago. Having a family will do that to you," Callie smiles.

"I didn't mean that in a bad way. It's just, I look at you and see more of a sports car kind of woman."

"Oh, don't' let the mini-van fool you, I also have an older mustang my grandfather left to me. I don't take it out very often though. I spend quite a bit of time fixing it up and hate to get it out just for my daily driver."

"I can totally see you in one of those. Convertible?"

"Oh yeah. I love it. Arizona and I used to love going for Sunday drives. We would put the top down and drive for hours. Nothing like the feel of wind through your hair."

"I can imagine," Erica says, watching Callie as she talks. "You said she would have a friend with her. Who is it?"

"Oh, it's Teddy. She teaches with her at the college. She is an English adjunct, too. They have been friends for years." Pulling into the restaurant, Callie says, "Here we are. I'm starving."

Walking into the restaurant, Callie and Erica make their way over to the hostess stand and then they are taken to Arizona and Teddy's table.

"Callie! And Erica... I didn't know you were coming. It's good to see you again," Arizona says, looking to Erica then back to Callie.

"Callie invited me. I hope that's ok?"

"Oh, yeah. She just hadn't told me, otherwise I would have had you a water waiting."

Callie listens to Arizona then notes that there are only three waters on the table.

"Sorry, that's my fault. I didn't think about what you pre-ordering. So, Erica, this is Teddy. Teddy, Erica."

The women hold their hands out and shake, going through the pleasantries. Everyone has a seat and orders are placed.

"So, Erica, Callie tells me that you are originally from the area?"

"Yeah, my parents are here but they have had some recent health complications. It was only a matter of time before I knew I needed to move home. I'm an only child so the brunt of it obviously falls on me. I'm not moving in with them, just moving closer. Mom still gets around, but dad's health is rapidly declining."

"I hate to hear that," Arizona says. "Are you married?"

"Um, no. I was engaged briefly, but it didn't work out. We wanted," Erica pauses to think. "Very different things. I was just glad we realized that as early as we did."

"Oh, I hate to hear that. But you are right, it is definitely better to know that before you get married," Arizona nods.

"You know, Arizona's brother is single. Maybe we could hook you up," Teddy says.

"Oh, that might be awkward," Erica says.

"What, because it's her brother?" Teddy asks.

"Well, kind of."

"Oh, I hooked up with him once. We didn't make it awkward. You should think about it. He's cute. Looks almost like her," Teddy says, pointing to Arizona. "Just, with man parts," Teddy says, laughing.

Erica looks a little surprised at the Teddy's ramblings.

"Well, maybe later. I'm still trying to get settled in and kind of have a lot going on right now."

"Suit yourself. But, if you change your mind, let Arizona or Callie know. I kind of feel bad for what happened between him and I. Just trying to hook a dude up."

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what happened with you two?"

"Well, I wasn't totally into it, and I couldn't figure out why. Until I met Callie's best friend, Addie. Then it all clicked, if you know what I mean." Teddy just threw her head back and laughed as Arizona and Callie rolled their eyes.

"Oh. OH!" Erica says, as she gets what Teddy is implying. "I see. No wonder you are looking to fix him up," she says laughing.

After a nice lunch, the women all went their separate ways. Callie and Erica went back to work and Arizona and Teddy headed back to the college. They were working on a proposal for their department and were just finishing up with it.

"So, Teddy, what did you think of Erica?"

"She seemed nice, why?"

"Oh, no reason," Arizona shrugs.

"Arizona, you never ask random questions without a reason. What's up? You don't like her?"

"It's not that. I don't know what it is. Just makes my... spidey senses tingle. It's not like she has done anything. And Callie says she has been nothing but professional."

"You asked Callie about her?"

"Not really... I just asked if she was married the other day and she said she didn't know. Then asked if she winked at me behind her back or something. She drives me nuts sometimes. I mean, like, Erica and I are a lot alike, looks wise. So, Erica would be into Callie if she was into either of us. Callie.. she doesn't know how beautiful she is, you know?"

"You know, I always thought she was pretty, but now that I'm into the ladies, she really is... hot."

"Teddy!"

"What? I'm just being honest. And it's not that I all of a sudden have the hots for her, but, I'm not blind. It's not like you have anything to worry about. Callie says she has been nothing but professional. And besides that, Callie only has eyes for you. You know that."

"I know that part. I don't know. It's just a feeling. I hope I'm just crazy though."

"You are. We have known that for ages though."

"Shut up, Teddy," Arizona says, laughing.

Later that night, Arizona is sitting on the couch with Zac, waiting on Callie to come home when the phone rings.

"Hey, you on your way home?" Arizona asks when she sees it is Callie calling.

"Actually, we just had a call from Addie and she is emailing a file that my replacement in New York dropped the ball on. She asked Erica and I if we could try to get through as much as we can tonight because the author is flying in tomorrow. Addie fired the new guy and the other editors there, well, they just aren't as thorough or quick. I'm so sorry honey."

"Oh. Well, Addie never asks you to do stuff after hours, so it must be important."

"It is. I promise, or I wouldn't do it. I'm so sorry, though," Callie says apologetically.

"Hey, no biggie. We love you," Arizona says.

"I love you both too," Callie says. "Give Zac a kiss for me. I'll be home as soon as I can. I have no idea how long this file is though."

"Ok. Talk to you later."

Well, this isn't how she wanted her evening to go.

In the office, Callie asks Erica if she is hungry. They were already running behind getting out of the office when Addie called. She orders them some pizza and drinks and they head to Callie's office to get situated. They look at the chapters sent and decide to divide and conquer.

"How about, you do the first five and I do the next five. We will see what time it is at that point and then take it from there. I was thinking, I may even call Teddy in to see if she could help. She can handle editing."

"Oh, I think we can do it. Alone. You don't want too many opinions flying around on this stuff. Sometimes it just confuses things."

"Well, I can see your point. Let's just get busy and see what happens."

Several hours later, it's around midnight and they are finishing up the last chapter each. They are actually ahead of where they figured they would be by now.

"Oh my goodness. I am exhausted," Callie says, putting her laptop down. "I think if I read any more tonight, my brain is going to fry."

"Well, I would happen to agree with you. This is going to be a fantastic book though. I am anxious to see how it ends," Erica says.

"Me too, but not tonight," Callie says, laughing. "Let's go home, get some sleep, then finish in the morning. We only have 6 chapters left. We can get through those before the meeting tomorrow. The other editor, Maggie, just needs our notes by then."

"Sounds good," Erica says, packing up her stuff.

After making it to the car, Callie pulls out her phone to text Arizona. She knows Arizona is probably asleep but wants the text to be waiting on her, if she should happen to wake up and look at it.

"Crap, it's dead," Callie says as she goes to dial. "Well, I'll be home soon anyway," she mumbles to herself, aggravatedly.

Arizona is at home and has texted Callie for the past two hours and hasn't had a single text back. That's unusual for Callie and it makes her nervous.

Thirty minutes later, Arizona is sitting at the bottom of the steps, when Callie walks in the door.

"Hey," Callie says, walking in. "I missed you, so much.

"Where were you?" Arizona asks, not acknowledging what Callie said.

"I told you where I would be. What are you talking about?"

"I tried to text you. For two hours."

"I'm sorry. My phone died. Between the two of us, we edited ten chapters tonight. I didn't know until I got in the car. I went to text you to let you know I was on my way, and it was dead. We were so busy working I didn't even have time to check my phone. I just figured it would chime if you texted, so I never looked at it. I'm sorry, honey."

"I thought... never mind. I'm glad you are home."

"Arizona, what's going on?

"Nothing. It's nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing. What is it?" Callie asks, sitting down on the steps by Arizona.

All of a sudden, Arizona starts crying. "I thought you were with Erica..."

"Honey, you know I was with her. We were working."

"No, that's not... I thought you were with her with her. You never just ignore my texts. I thought you were with her."

"Oh... Arizona," Callie says, pulling her into a hug. "I would never do that to you. I have everything I could ever want, right here. I love you so much. And as far as Erica goes... the fiancé she talked about?"

"Yeah..." Arizona says, drying her eyes.

"Well, it turns out, it didn't work out because she just found out she is pregnant and he didn't want a baby. but she does. She said she just didn't want to end up sobbing today in the restaurant talking about it. She told me on the way back to the office. She said she felt I needed to know anyway since she would need time off after the delivery. Honey, she isn't interested in me any more than I am interested in her. But, that's also why she didn't think it would be a good time to be introduced to your brother. You have absolutely nothing to worry about. Never... even if it wasn't because she is pregnant."

"But she lied... she said she was back here because of her parents."

"She is. She had a lot happen all at once. But she said it worked out good because she worked with the ex-fiancé and didn't know how much longer she could stand working with him anyway."

"I'm sorry..." Arizona started crying again. "Shh...it's ok," Callie says, wiping the tears. "You know what I think just happened?"

"What?" Arizona asks, through sniffles.

"I think some hormone shots are messing with you. I've been waiting on both of us to go crazy. Looks like you have beat me to it this time."

Laughing a little bit, Arizona says, "Yeah, I think you are right. I didn't even think about it today. I was already not crazy about her."

"Arizona Torres, I will make you a deal. You be crazy today, tomorrow it will be my turn to be crazy, ok?"

"Ok," Arizona smiles as Callie pulls her into a kiss.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

"I just don't know Arizona. I mean, no matter what I choose, I still don't think it will be the right choice."

"Calliope. We don't have all day."

"You don't think I know that? I know. Trust me. That's why this is so important. I mean, what I choose now will impact the rest of my life."

"No it won't. You are being dramatic. Kind of like that time in junior high and you couldn't decide if you wanted a white paper bag or a brown paper bag to put your lunch in. It was just a bag and nobody cared. Instead, you put it in a plastic bag from the Piggly Wiggly."

"This, is not, the same. If I wear flats, he will think I'm more 'mom' material. Heels might be more professional looking but also, they might make me look a bit like a…" looking around to make sure Zac couldn't hear, she whispers, "you know… slut."

"Oh my gosh. They are just shoes. The judge isn't going to make a decision based on which shoes you are wearing. But apparently, it is your turn to be crazy today. I knew it was coming, but I hoped it wouldn't hit on the day we go to court. Seriously, pick a pair. You look like a wonderful mom in either pair. And the heels do not make you look like a slut." Taking a second to think, Arizona raises a finger. "However, I found a pair at the mall the other day, and if you want to play the part one night, I would be more than happy to go pick them up. It makes my mouth water just thinking about you in those heels. Bright red. I can see your legs wrapped around my head and I would take you…"

"Arizona!"

"What? I'm just saying… Thinking of a slutty Callie does… things to me," Arizona says dreamy eyed. "Why did you have to mention shoes making you look like a slut? Today of all days. I can't be in court and thinking of you dressing all slutty. Calliope... I'm going to the mall tonight and buying you those shoes," Arizona says, licking her lips.

"What's wrong with you! We are going to court and you are acting all… all.. drunk. Seriously," Callie glares at her. "You want me to look like a slut. I have to say, I'm a little offended."

"I know! I'm sorry. I'm… sorry. I just, my hormones Calliope. They are in overdrive or something. But you aren't one to talk. Going all crazy over a stupid pair of shoes," Arizona says, waving her hands about.

Arizona stops as she watches Callie pucker up. "You think I'm crazy because I want to look good for the judge?"

"No. I think you are crazy because you will look good in anything. Really. I don't think this is you talking… I think it's hormones. Actually, I think they are speaking for both of us. I can't wait to get knocked up with your baby. I don't know how much more of this we can take." Arizona sits down and starts shaking her head.

"I'm going to wear the flats."

"It's probably a good choice. I think even your regular heels would turn me on today," Arizona says, smirking at Callie.

"Ok, let's go, please. Before I have another meltdown," Callie pleads, holding her hand out for Arizona to take.

"Ok," Arizona stands up and takes Callie's hands. "But for the record, I only like you looking slutty for me, behind closed doors. And I am going to buy you those shoes later."

Callie just shakes her head. "Let's worry about getting through the day. We might not be in the mood to celebrate. And really, isn't sex a weird way to celebrate this?"

"No. I mean,we will celebrate with Zac before we come home. Have a nice dinner or something. Wherever he wants to go. Then, after he is in bed, I think it's a natural way for us to show each other how in love we are, and how happy we are. I'm just, really looking forward to that part tonight."

"Wow These shots are going straight to you head... or rather, straight between your legs. But, like I said, we might not be in the mood to celebrate."

Arizona stops and takes both of Callie's hands in her own. "All sexy talk aside, you need to listen to me. I'm not worried about today Calliope. I love you. Zac loves you. And you love both of us. I know, without a doubt, this is just a formality. And I know you are nervous, but don't be. You are a wonderful mom already, and the judge will see that. Ronnie spent time with us, she spent some time with just Zac on her visits, she talked to some friends and family. It will be fine. The judge has no reason at all to not let this happen."

"Thank you. I know you are probably right, but I just want this so bad."

"I know. So do I Calliope. All my dreams keep coming true. Just when I think they all have, something else happens and I realize there were dreams I didn't even know I had. Today, if for some unknown reason, things don't go as planned, I need you to remember something though," Arizona says, making sure Callie is looking at her. "No matter what that judge says, you are his momma. Papers are not what make you his momma. Your love does that. Ok?"

"Ok. Let's get Zac and get going. I told mom we would drop him off in..." looking at her watch, "fifteen minutes."

"Let's go." Arizona smiles and leans in to give Callie a quick kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too."

They received a call two weeks ago that today was the day. Between hormones and nerves, both women have been basket cases.

Callie sits down by her lawyer with Arizona right by her side. She knows Arizona is right. If for some reason, this doesn't go her way, she knows she is still his momma. But she really wants this piece of paper. Six months ago, she would never have thought that she and Arizona would be back together, let alone have a son and be getting ready to try for another child.

She looks at Arizona and receives a wide smile and a wink, as Arizona reaches over and grabs her hand. Right his second, Callie realizes she has nothing to be worried about. Their lawyer assured them after they came in, that even if the adoption is turned down, they can resubmit the request.

Callie is about ready to say something when the judge enters the room. Their lawyer told them this should only take a few minutes and to expect it to be quick.

"Good afternoon. We are here because of a petition filed for second-parent adoption of Isaac Daniel Robbins-Torres by a Calliope Torres."

"Yes, your honor," her lawyer states.

"Would Calliope Torres please rise and state your name."

Callie looks at Arizona and squeezes her hand, as she lets go and stands up."

"Calliope Torres, your honor."

"Thank you. You may be seated."

Callie sits, and Arizona reaches for her hand under the table.

"Mrs. Torres, do you understand that you are requesting to have legal rights over Isaac Robbins-Torres?"

"Yes sir," Callie nods.

"Do you understand that this means you will also have a financial responsibility as well as being responsible for his well being?"

"Yes, your honor."

"If Arizona Torres is in the room, can you please stand?"

Arizona lets go of Callie's hand and stands.

"Please state your name and relationship to Isaac Robbins-Torres."

"Arizona Torres. I am Isaac's biological mother."

"Are you in support of this petition, for Callie Torres, to be the adoptive parent of Isaac Robbins-Torres?"

"Yes, your honor." Arizona replies with a firm nod and smile.

"Thank you. You may be seated."

"I have read over and reviewed all the documents and interview transcripts provided by Veronica Myers, the case worker. In looking over everything, I do have to say I am a bit concerned about the length of time that Callie has been in Isaac's life. Having seen that you once left for an extended period of time, and have just recently became a part of Isaac's life, I did have a slight hesitation to grant this petition."

Arizona immediately reaches over and grabs Callie's hand as she watches Callie's head drop slightly.

"I reached out to Mrs. Myers personally this week for a heart to heart discussion. After further consideration, and hearing about the relationship you now have with Isaac, I have concluded, that it is absolutely within Isaac's best interest, for me to approve this second-parent adoption."

Callie let's out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding as Arizona does the same.

"Now, I see that a request has been made to drop the hyphenated last name and replace it with only Torres. Is this correct?"

"Yes, your honor." Callie and Arizona both day at the same time, causing the judge to smile.

"Then I hereby grant the second-parent adoption of Isaac Daniel Torres. Congratulations ladies."

Walking out of the court room, Callie stops just outside the door and reaches for Arizona, breaking down in tears.

Arizona holds her, with tears welling up in her own eyes. After a few minutes, Arizona pulls away and wipes the tears falling down her face. "Are you ok?"

Callie nods, still trying to stop the tears that are falling.

"I was so afraid he was going to say no there for a minute."

"I know. I was too," Arizona days with a sad smile, only to be replaced by a big, genuine smile. "But he didn't. You are officially his momma."

"I can't believe it!" Callie's tears clearing and making way for a breathtaking smile.

"You ready to go get our boy? I think we need to celebrate." Arizona says, nodding, waiting for Callie to agree.

"I am so, so ready!"

As they get into the car and pull out of the courthouse parking lot Arizona feels Callie's hand snake its way into hers. "I love you Mrs. Torres, Callie says.

"I love you too. What do you say, we grab our son and head out to celebrate. Maybe a nice pizza and games at Chuck E Cheese?"

"I can't think of anything better Arizona," Callie smiles.

"Then, after that, we are going shopping." Arizona nods as if to put a period at the end of her sentence.

"Why? What for?"

Arizona looks at her like she is crazy. "Um, I have shoes to buy. I'm buying that pair of red heels."

Callie busts out laughing. "Arizona!"

"What? They are just shoes. Ad that is all I want you to be wearing tonight after we get Zac to bed."

"I would tell you no, but when you said you wanted them wrapped around your head, and..." Callie is interrupted by her phone ringing. "Hold that thought. I don't recognize this number.

 _"Hello?"_

 _"Callie... How did it go?"_

 _"Addie? Hey! The adoption was granted!"_

 _"Oh my goodness! Callie, that is just fantastic! I knew it would go through. Congratulations! We need to celebrate!"_

 _"I know. We will the next time you are in town. I can't believe it. I have been so worried. But now, we can both relax. We are actually going to take Zac out to eat at Chuck E Cheese this afternoon."_

 _"I know he will love that. Hey, I hate to ask this, I know you are probably heading to get Zac, but can you do me a favor?"_

 _"Um, yeah, I guess..."_

 _"Can you run by April's. I can't get ahold of Teddy and I dropped my phone in the, um, toilet. I'm using someone else's for the time being. I know she is there but she isn't answering her phone. Can you swim by and let her know that my phone is out of commission, but I will be getting a new one later, and then I'll call."_

 _"I'll just text her."_

 _"No, I already tried and she will kill me if she tries to call and I don't answer. She has been really clingy lately. Ouch!"_

 _"Addie, what's wrong with you?"_

 _"Nothing. Just stubbed my toe. Anyway, just stop and tell her so I know she gets the message and she won't kill me. Ouch!"_

 _"Seriously... what is wrong with you?"_

 _"Nothing. Just, uh, stubbed the other toe."_

 _"Whatever, we'll run by and tell her. You better be glad I like you. We have some celebrating to do, so we will head there first."_

 _"Thank you so much Callie. I'm happy for you guys."_

 _"Thanks. Talk to you later."_

 _"Bye, Callie."_

Callie hangs up and looks over at Arizona. "We need to run by April's. Teddy dropped her phone in the toilet and she needs me to tell Teddy. She said Teddy has been really clingy lately and doesn't want her to get mad if she can't get ahold of her. I guess she has tried to call her and can't get her."

"Are you kidding me? Doesn't she realize we are in a hurry to get Zac?"

"I think she does. But it is on the way."

"Ugh. I don't like our friends sometimes."

Laughing, Callie says, "Me either."

A few minutes later, they are walking into April's on the search for Teddy. As they walk in, they hear a loud "Surprise!"

Looking around, they see all their friends and family. It is late on a Friday afternoon, but here in the middle of April's, are their parents, Tim, Teddy, Mark, Meredith and Addie, along with several other friends. Then, the ladies hear the sweetest little sound... "Mommy! Momma!" Zac comes running towards both of them with his hands up.

'We're having a party!" Zac yells. "With cake!"

Callie picks Zac up with tears in her eyes, while Arizona reaches around and put her arms around both of them. Everyone gives them a second and then Addie breaks the moment by yelling, "We need a toast!"

Addie walks over carrying two champagne classes and a small plastic one filled with juice for Zac. The ladies take their glasses, as does Zac.

"I can't believe you Addie!" Callie says, smiling.

"Well, it took a little work to keep Teds quiet, but I managed to bribe her," Addie says winking. "Anyway..." Addie clears her throat, turning around looking at everyone gathered around.

"I'd like to make a toast. We are all so happy for you guys. I can't tell you how happy we all are for you. You have been blessed with an amazing, wonderful, smart little boy. Today marks the beginning of their rest of your lives. I think I speak for all of us in saying we couldn't be happier for you. So, from all of us, to the three of you, congratulations," Addie says, as she raises her glass. "To Callie, Arizona, and Zac Torres... Congrats!"

"Congrats!" Everyone yells as they drink to the happy family.

"Mmm, that's good juice!" Zac yells, with it dripping down his chin, causing everyone to laugh.

"Yeah, buddy. That's some Juicy Juice right out of the juice box," April says, laughing.

Callie starts shaking her head, smiling. "Addie, I can't believe you. Did you do all this?"

"No, she just got volunteered to talk because she has the biggest mouth," Teddy says, walking up behind them.

"Hey," Addie says.

"Just kidding. Yes, it was her idea. She just needed a little help getting everyone here. We hope you guys don't mind..." Teddy says, somewhat sheepish.

"Are you kidding?" Callie asks. "This is wonderful. I mean, I don't even know how you got everyone here. You even brought Meredith! On a weekday no less."

"Well, it was an easy sale. Everyone loves you and wanted to be here."

"Thank you, you guys. This is... amazing."

Callie and Arizona continued to mingle among their guests. Callie and Arizona couldn't believe everyone that made it. Addie invited people from the new office and everything.

Several hours later, Callie and Arizona are walking into Zac's room, carrying a sleepy little boy. "Come on buddy, let's get your shoes off and momma will get you some jammies on," Callie says.

Arizona hands the jammies to Callie and she gets them on Zac and lays him down. She reaches down to give him a kiss goodnight as he says, "I love you momma."

"I love you too Zac. So, so much."

Arizona leans over, smiling, giving Callie a kiss on the cheek, then leans down to give Zac one as well. Mommy love you buddy. We will see you in the morning."

"I love you too mommy."

Callie and Arizona turn and stand in the doorway, turning the light out, watching his eyes close.

"I still can't believe he's mine now too." Callie says, smiling.

"Believe it," Arizona says smiling.

As they walk into their room, they talk about how amazing it was to have everyone there to help them celebrate. It wasn't the evening they had planned, but it was even better. Knowing you have that many people supporting you, is amazing.

They go about their bedtime ritual, getting ready for bed. When they are both ready, Arizona sits and pats the bed beside her, wanting Callie to sit down. Arizona pulls a small box out of her bedside drawer and hands it to Callie.

When she opens it, she sees a silver necklace with the word 'momma' on it.

"Arizona, it's beautiful," Callie gasps.

"I saw it the other day and thought you needed it."

"I love it. Thank you, so much," Callie says, pulling Arizona in for a kiss.

"I love you, Calliope. And I am so glad that I get to raise him Zac with you."

"Me too. Thank you, for giving me this opportunity. I won't let you two down. I love you both. So much."

"We love you too." Arizona says, pulling Callie closer so she can put Callie's necklace on her. After the necklace is on, she pulls Callie in for a kiss. After it deepens, she suddenly pulls back. "Oh... shoot!"

"What? What's wrong?" Callie asks, worriedly.

"The heels! We didn't get to buy the heels!"


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

"I can't believe that today is the day," Arizona smiles, holding Callie's hand as they walk into the doctor's office.

"I know. I can't believe it either. Are you ok?"

"More than ok. I have my wife that I love more than anything beside me. We have an amazing little boy. And... we are getting ready to add to our family. I am more than fine," Arizona says, as Callie is holding the door open for her.

While sitting in the waiting room waiting, Callie turns to Arizona. "So, I was thinking… and I kind of did something."

Turning to look at Callie, Arizona raises her eyebrows asking, "What did you do?"

"Well, I was going to surprise you but now I think maybe it might not be a good idea. I mean, it was at the time I thought of it, but now, maybe it wasn't."

"Just tell me," Arizona says, chuckling at Callie's nervousness.

"Um, so I kind of booked a vacation. Without talking to you first."

"Ok. Well, maybe we should have talked about it, but why would it be a mistake?"

"Well, I booked a week at the beach. And I know you weren't crazy about Zac swimming so I went ahead and enrolled him in swim classes. He starts next week."

"Calliope, I can't believe it," Arizona says smiling. "Why would that be a bad thing? I think it's super sweet you booked it, but also even sweeter than you enrolled him in swim classes. But, why would it be a bad idea?"

"Not that it's a totally bad idea, but, I wasn't thinking... maybe you won't be feeling well. Maybe you won't feel like going and we will spend the time in the room or maybe you will push yourself to enjoy it but you won't really feel like it and then you will just be... miserable. I don't want you to be miserable. I want..."

Arizona leans over and kisses Callie. "You need to stop talking. Although I find it endearing, you are worrying over nothing. I think It sounds fantastic. Zac will love it. I mean, you saw how much he loved the water park."

"I know all that, but what if you don't feel up to it?"

"Well, if I don't feel up to it, then things are going exactly how we want them to," Arizona says, winking at Callie. "If that's the case, that means this will have worked. And I am totally fine puking a few times a day at the beach. Puking at home or at the beach? I totally pick the beach," she says, giving Callie another kiss.

"So, you aren't mad?"

"No. Not at all. When do we go?"

"Um, in about a month. I figure that will be right before classes start and Zac will have had a month of lessons and should be able to navigate the waters pretty well by then. Besides that, it's not like we will let him near the water without a life jacket and one of us anyway."

"True," Arizona says. "I can't wait."

"Torres?" The nurse calls out into the waiting room.

"Here we go..." Arizona smiles at Callie as they both stand up. "You ready?"

"More than ready," Callie smiles, taking Arizona's hand and heading to meet the nurse. Both women walk through the door with matching smiles on their face, hoping for the best and that they will soon be adding to their family.

A few weeks pass by, and Arizona is waiting for Zac to finish his swimming lessons when her phone chimes. She has been a nervous wreck today. Today is the day they can take a pregnancy test. Callie texting every few minutes is usually a sweet thing, but today, she isn't finding it quite so sweet. Just the opposite, actually.

Deciding she isn't going to respond to this text, because nothing has changed in the ten minutes since Callie texted last, she decides to turn her phone off and put it in her purse. She feels bad, this isn't something she would usually do, but she is going to start getting pretty snippy if she has to talk to her and answer the question, "how are you feeling?" even one more time.

She feels the same as she did this morning. The same as she did yesterday. And, the same as she did a week ago. She can't wait to get home and take the test. They aren't scheduled for the official blood test until tomorrow, but Callie wants her to take one tonight. And it's driving her nuts. She doesn't feel any different and she is sure that the test will be negative. She isn't looking forward to seeing a single line on the test this evening, as she is sure that's what they will find.

They finish with Zac's swim lessons and they head home. In just a few short weeks, Zac has mastered floating and they are working on his underwater swimming.

Arizona decides if they are going to get bad news, she wants to have some comfort food ready. So, they stop at the store and she stocks up on ice cream, chips, their favorite pop, and then rents one family movie for Zac and then a more adult movie for after Zac goes to bed.

Pulling into the driveway, Callie is sitting on the porch but stands as they get out of the car.

"Arizona, are you guys alright? I have been texting you and calling you for an hour! I was scared to death something happened!"

"Callie, I'm fine. We are fine. It's not necessary for you to text every ten minutes," Arizona says, getting Zac out of the car while he runs to Callie and she gets the bag of goodies out from the back of the car.

Looking stunned, Callie opens and closes her mouth several times before she finds her words. She picks up Zac and gives him a quick hug and kiss, then puts him down and sends him to go wash up for dinner.

"I guess I didn't realize it was a problem when I text you. You always tell me to text you."

Walking past Callie and into the house, Arizona heads into the kitchen. "It's not a problem when you text. It's a problem when you text every ten minutes."

Confused, Callie shakes her head. "So, you are saying you don't want to talk to me?"

"No. I don't. Not every ten minutes anyway," Arizona says, shaking her head.

Taken aback, Callie just watches as Arizona takes everything out of the bag and puts it away, not even stopping to look at Callie. "Ok. Well, I um, I... I guess I will make sure I don't text you so much again. I'll, uh... I'll leave you alone," Callie says, hurriedly walking out of the kitchen, clearly holding back a sob.

"Shit." Arizona closes the cabinet and realizes she took her frustration out on Callie. Closing the freezer door, she heads into the living room to find Callie. She isn't there so she heads upstairs. What she finds breaks her heart.

Callie is laying on their bed with tears streaming down her face, with Zac handing her a tissue.

If she didn't already feel bad, she feels even worse now. "Momma is crying. I gave her a tissue," Zac says, patting Callie's arm.

"I see that. Did you wash your hands?"

"Yep. Wanna smell?"

Arizona smiles, shaking her head. "No, thank you. I believe you. But, what you can do is to go play in your room for a few minutes. It looked like dinner was almost done. I'll come and get you in a few minutes."

"Ok. Love you momma and mommy," Zac says, not giving Callie or Arizona time to reply, running out.

As soon as he is out of the room, Callie rolls over, facing away from the door. Arizona sighs, knowing she messed up and walks over to sit on the bed.

"Calliope..." Arizona starts, but stops, seeing Callie start to cry.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have turned my phone off."

Callie doesn't say anything. She just continues to cry, still not turning to face Arizona. Arizona knows she has a lot of making up to do.

"I know I messed up and I'm sorry you were worried. I didn't think about that. I was just... nervous. I was getting anxious, worried about the test results because I just know it is going to be negative. I know how I felt with Zac and this isn't the same. I already felt different with him. Sore boobs and just... different. I don't feel anything like that, so I know it's going to be negative. And I know that you are going to be disappointed and I don't want to disappoint you."

Callie still doesn't turn around and Arizona lays down beside her and wraps her arm around Callie and rubbing her arms. "I'm so sorry. I was nervous and when you texted making sure I was ok, I just... I felt terrible, because I felt fine. Too fine. And I feel like I'm letting you down. So, I turned my phone off. So that I didn't have to keep telling you I was fine. Because if I'm fine, that means there is no baby."

Callie turns around, with red splotchy eyes and looks at Arizona as she has big tears now welling up in her eyes.

"I was worried something happened to you two," Callie says.

"I'm sorry," Arizona says. "I shouldn't have turned my phone off and I shouldn't have snapped at you. I should have just talked to you about it last night instead of keeping it in."

"Arizona, no. I'm sorry. I just... I guess I have been worried about you and excited and nervous. All at the same time. I just, I couldn't be with you today and texting you just made me feel better. I'm sorry you felt like I was putting pressure on you."

Callie reaches over and wipes Arizona's tears, reaching around her to the bedside table for a kleenex. "Here... don't cry," Callie says, handing Arizona the tissue. "We know that it doesn't always work on the first try. We got lucky the first time with the twins. How many times did it take to work with Zac?"

"Just one," Arizona sniffles. "It worked the first time."

"Well, we can't get that lucky every time honey. If it is negative, you aren't letting me down. We will just try again."

"I know. I just feel like I am."

"Well, I wish you would have talked to me. Honey, I don't want you to feel pressured. I really shouldn't have texted so much today. I didn't do it to make you feel pressured. I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize. Really. How about we go get Zac and then go have some dinner. It really smelled amazing."

"Ok. But Arizona, it will be fine. Either way, it will be fine."

"I know."

The two went and grabbed Zac and had a nice dinner. Callie had picked one of Arizona's favorites. After dinner, they decided to go for a walk around the lake and then they watched the movie Arizona had rented for Zac. Afterwards, they took Zac upstairs and read him a story. He was asleep before they finished the story.

"Well," Callie says, pulling Arizona into their room to get jammies on, before watching the second movie and having ice cream. "Do you wanna just skip the test tonight and wait on the test tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I think so. I don't think I can handle getting two negatives. Is that ok?"

"More than ok. It's whatever you want," Callie says, leaning in to give Arizona a kiss. Callie walks into the bathroom and changes and then tells Arizona she will go get their ice cream and then get the movie ready.

"I'll be right down," Arizona says, walking into the bathroom. While she is changing, she looks on the shelf and sees the pregnancy test. She shakes her head, finishes getting dressed and walks out of the bathroom. She makes it to the hallway door and turns around, heading back into the bathroom. She closes and locks the door and then reaches for the pregnancy test.

Downstairs, Callie has put the movie in and is putting ice cream in the bowls and adding a little Hershey syrup to the top. She walks back into the living room carrying the bowls, sits them on the table, and then reaches for the blanket to pull it off the back of the couch.

Watching the ice cream start to melt, she picks hers up and starts to eat. Arizona walks in a few minutes later and sits down beside her. "Hey, your ice cream is melting."

"Yeah, I see that. That's ok. I don't need it now."

"What? Why? You wanted it a few minutes ago."

"Well, yeah. Because I was upset and wanted comfort food."

"I know. So, you better eat it before it melts," Callie says, confused.

Arizona reaches over and grabs the bowl from Callie and sits it on the table beside her bowl.

"Hey, I want mine," Callie says, reaching for her bowl.

"No..." Arizona says, grabbing Callie's hand. You don't need comfort food either.

"What?"

"Well, you don't need it. You don't need comfort food because there isn't anything to be upset over," Arizona says, reaching into her pocket and holding up a white stick for Callie to see. "There is a reason to celebrate though," Arizona says with a wide smile. "We're having a baby!"

"Arizona! I can't believe it!"

Throwing the blanket off of her, she reaches over and pulls Arizona onto her lap, causing Arizona to throw her head back, laughing. "Calliope!" Arizona squeals.

"I love you so much!" Callie says, pulling Arizona in for a kiss. After a few minutes, Callie pulls back. "I didn't think you were going to take it tonight? What changed your mind?"

"I wasn't. But then, I saw the test on the shelf, and I just... needed to take it. And I am so glad I did!"

"Arizona, I can't believe it. I mean, we were almost sure it was going to be negative. I can't tell you how much I love you."

"I love you too. So much. I'm really having your baby and I couldn't be happier," Arizona says, nibbling on Callie's lips.

"Oh, me either! I love you so much," Callie sighs, pulling Arizona into a passionate kiss.

It starts to become heated as Callie's hands are now in Arizona's hair and Arizona is starting to take off Callie's shirt. "I need more," Arizona says.

"Come here..." Callie says, pushing Arizona up, walking upstairs. Leaving the tv on and the ice cream bowls on the coffee table, she Callie has just the thing for Arizona.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see..." Callie says, pulling her into their bedroom. "Sit here..." Callie says, pushing Arizona onto the bed. "Wait right there."

"Ok..." Arizona says, giggling at Callie's antics.

Callie disappears into the closet and closes the door. When she comes back out, Arizona is floored. Standing in nothing but a pair of red high heels, Callie gets a smug look on her face as she watches Arizona watch her.

"Calliope... I can't believe... When... When did you um, when did you, uh, buy, those?"

"Well, I bought them last week. I know we have had a busy couple of weeks and hadn't had a chance to get them, so I thought I would surprise you. Do you like them?"

"Calliope," Arizona says, walking over to her, running her finger down Callie's arm. "I. Love. Them." She drops her hand and walks around Callie, leaving Callie to wonder what she is doing.

"Are you sure? Maybe I shouldn't have got them."

"Oh, no, you should have. I just can't believe they have been in the closet for a whole week. You were holding out on me, Calliope..." Arizona says from behind Callie, leaning in to run her tongue along the edge of Callie's ear.

All of a sudden, Arizona pushes Callie over onto the bed as she begins to take her own clothes off. She walks over to lock the door, and then climbs on the bed. "I think it's time to feel those heels on the top of my back, wrapped around my neck. What do you think, Calliope?" Arizona smirks as she scoots down the bed and watches Callie squirm.

"Um... yep. Yeah, that sounds..." She doesn't get to finish her thought as her words are replaced with a gasp as Arizona begins to make Callie come undone.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Walking into the beach condo, Callie carries a still asleep Zac and lays him on the couch. She turns to see Arizona walking in the front door pushing a cart with their luggage.

"What are you doing? I told you to leave it and I would go back down to grab it," Callie says, as she heads to grab the cart from Arizona.

"It's easy to push. It's not like I was carrying all the luggage Calliope. I can push a cart."

Looking at her, Callie nods. "I know. But you don't have to. That's what I am for…to do all the stuff you don't need to do."

"No, you are here to love me. Which you are doing. But I am not incapable of pushing a cart. You can worry more when I'm eight months along and can't see my feet. Then I will more than willingly let you do more. But right now, I can still do stuff," Arizona says, leaning in to give Callie a kiss."

"Maybe so, but it's my job to take care of you, so you need to let me," Callie says, pulling Arizona into her, giving her another kiss.

Arizona looks at her nodding, knowing she won't get anywhere with this argument, and then pulls her back through the living room and opens up the door to the balcony.

"Calliope... look! It's beautiful!"

"Yeah, but not as beautiful as you," Callie says, moving to stand behind Arizona and pulling her flat against her front.

"You are such a sweet-talker," Arizona says, leaning back into Callie.

"Well, I have always thought you were the most beautiful woman in the world, but seeing you carry our baby, you just have this glow about you. I always thought people were crazy for saying stuff like that, but now, I totally see what they mean."

"I saw it with you, when you were pregnant with the twins. You were absolutely stunning, Calliope."

"I think it's safe to say, we are totally in love with each other. Otherwise, we wouldn't be this mushy," Callie says, laughing.

"I totally agree with the totally in love with each other part. Now, let's get in there and unpack and then, when Zac finally wakes up, we can head down to the beach. He is going to be so excited."

An hour later, they do just that. Callie rented them beach chairs that are already set up, so all they need to do is carry the fun stuff. Zac sees the beach and is pulling Arizona behind him, barely able to wait to get his feet into the sand.

"Look mommy. Look momma! I see the water!"

"I know little man. Isn't that cool?"

"Yeah. I wanna play in the waves. Can we?"

"We sure can. We just need to get your lifejacket on first."

Trying to keep up with the other two, Callie has the bag with the towels and sunscreen, the shovel and pail, and a small cooler with some drinks and snacks. Trying to minimize trips back to the room, she chose to bring as much as she could carry.

When they find their chairs, they get sunscreen on and Zac's life jacket fastened. Heading to the edge of the water, Zac squeals as he runs in circles, jumping into the little waves that are crashing against the shore line.

Callie watches as he throws his head back and laughs. Then, she turns to see Arizona doing the exact same thing and she smiles. She can't believe how in love she is with the woman playing in the water, with their son. Her son... saying that still seems unreal. Everything has happened so quick she still can't believe it's all real. She takes a second to appreciate everything that she has right now. It's better than any fairy tale could ever be.

Arizona turns to see her just watching and gives her a questioning look. "Are you ok?"

"More than ok," Callie smiles and nods. She walks over to Zac and picks him up, then walks a little farther into the water.

"This is so cool!" Zac yells.

"I know. I think we need to go get our raft and blow it up, what do you think? Then, we can try to catch some waves."

"Yeah. I need to catch some waves," Zac says, nodding.

Callie laughs as she passes him back to Arizona and heads to blow up their raft. After coming back with a freshly inflated raft, they walk a little farther out and get Zac situated on top, laying on his belly.

"Now, remember, you have your lifejacket on and if you fall off, you will be fine. And, we will be right here with you. OK?"

"Ok momma," Zac says, nodding at Callie. "Mommy, let go of the raft!"

"Ok... Sheesh," Arizona says, laughing.

Waiting for the next wave, Arizona moves aside as Callie waits for just the right moment and releases the raft, sending Zac rushing to the shore.

The only thing they hear are laughs and squeals as he let's the waves carry him, ending with a turned over raft and just giggling. Callie thinks it is the most precious sound she has ever heard.

Arizona goes back to the beach chairs, hoping to gain a little sun, as Callie and Zac repeat the rafting process what seems like fifty more times.

After a long afternoon, they finally call it quits and head inside to get ready for dinner. Callie did some investigating and found a nice beachfront restaurant just a few miles from their resort.

An hour later, with sun kissed skin, Arizona walks out in a cute light blue sundress. Walking over to give Callie a kiss from behind, as she was too busy looking out over the balcony with Zac.

"Hey there, you guys all ready?"

"Yes, we are starving," Callie says turning around, taking in the sight before her. "Wow. You look…amazing."

"Thank you. You look pretty amazing yourself," Arizona says, looking at Callie, leaning in to give her a soft kiss. Callie has her hair pulled back with light makeup and a soft yellow sun dress, making her skin look absolutely delicious.

They make their way to the restaurant and have an excellent dinner by the water. Afterwards, after they make it back to the resort, they decide to go for a walk on the beach as the sun is setting. Luckily, Callie had run up to the room to get the camera. They managed to get some spectacular pictures.

While walking, they watched Zac pick up some sea shells, getting excited for each shell he found that was bigger than the last.

"So, you know, we never talked any more about renewing our vows in front of friends and family. Is that still something you want to do?" Callie had been waiting on Arizona to bring it up after her mom came around, but she had yet to mention it.

"You know, I was just thinking about it the other day. I know we said we would, but I don't think its necessary. I mean, we can if you want. I'm not opposed to it by any means. I just look at our wedding in Vegas and it was perfect. And our pictures are just…beautiful. I hate that our parents weren't there, but you know, I'm ok with that. Because to me, we had us and Zac, even Tim. But, like I said, I'm not opposed to it if you want to. I'm just content as it is."

"I agree. The further we get from it, I think our Vegas wedding was perfect. But, I would be more than happy to renew our vows if you wanted to."

"You know, I think things are perfect, just the way they are," Arizona nods, laughing at Zac as he steps on something squishy.

"Oooh, momma!" Zac yells. "What is it?"

"Why are you asking me? Ask mommy!" Callie laughs.

"Because, he knows I don't like bugs and that sort of gross stuff."

"Well, for the record, momma doesn't either," Callie laughs. Walking closer, they see it is a dead fish so they leave it and keep moving.

When they finally make it back to the resort and make their way back to their condo for the evening, Zac is worn out. Callie changes him and gets his jammies on. As she takes him into the second bedroom, she pulls out a few of the boom they brought as they get snuggled up.

They aren't finished with the first story yet and Zac is asleep. Callie quietly slips out of bed, wondering why Arizona didn't come and say goodnight.

Walking into their bedroom, she hears why Arizona didn't come in. Callie walks to the bathroom and peaks in, to find Arizona over the toilet.

"Oh, sweetie," Callie says, reaching for a wash cloth. "You should have yelled."

Shaking her head just a little, Arizona mumbles, "I knew you were reading to him. I'm…." Arizona is cut off by another wave of vomiting.

Callie scoots closer and places her hand on her back as she helps to hold her hair back. When Arizona finishes, Callie helps her stand and get cleaned up, then helps her back to the bedroom and gets her situated under the covers.

"I'm sorry I wasn't in here for you."

"Calliope, it's the first time I have been sick, but I'm sure it won't be the last. You will be here for plenty of it, I'm sure."

"I know. I just want to be there for you. I'm going to run downstairs and grab some sprite or Gatorade. I'll be right back."

"Can you maybe see if they have some pizza take out menus?"

"What? You just threw up. I don't think you need pizza," Callie says, wrinkling her nose.

"I know. Not right now, but maybe later?"

Laughing, Callie nods. "I'll see what I can find."

A few minutes later, she comes back to find Arizona passed out, mouth open, and snoring. She sits the pizza flyer on the counter and heads to put the Gatorade in the refrigerator. After walking back in to the bedroom, she changes and lays down next to Arizona.

The next thing she knows, she is being woke up by Zac bouncing on the bed. "Mommy! Momma! Let's go back to the beach!"

"Hey there little man," Callie says, pulling him down to lay beside them. Looking over to Arizona, she says, "Let's give mommy time to wake up and see how she is feeling. Mommy wasn't feeling too good last night."

"What's wrong mommy?" Zac looks to Arizona, putting his hand on her head, just as Arizona has done to him so many times in the past, feeling for a fever.

"Oh, mommy's food just didn't agree with me. But, I'm feeling much better this morning," Arizona says, reaching over to tickle him.

"Mommy!" Zac wiggles free, climbing over Callie and landing with a thud on the floor. "Now you can't tickle me!" He says, running out into the living area.

"Well, that's one way to run the kid off," Callie chuckles.

"That wasn't my intention, but now we know what will do it!" Arizona laughs.

"Are you really feeling better?"

"Much. The food just didn't agree with me."

"More like it didn't agree with the baby..." Callie says, reaching over to rub Arizona's stomach. "I still can't believe there is a baby in there," Callie smiles, leaning down to give Arizona a kiss.

"Could be babies. Never know."

"True. I guess I didn't think much about it. Wouldn't that be something. Last time we were so overwhelmed, just thinking about it. It's not so overwhelming anymore, you know?"

"I know. Not as scary anymore. Can you imagine though? Zac and two babies?" Arizona laughs.

"At least he is old enough to help a little bit. He is going to make such a good big brother," Callie smiles. "Whether it's one or two, it's going to be great."

"When should we tell Zac?"

"I say we wait until you hit the three month mark. He wouldn't understand if something went wrong."

"I think you're right. So we wait," Arizona nods. "I just can't believe my first bout of morning sickness hit me in the evening. On vacation. That's just my luck."

"I know. But, it wasn't as bad as it could have been."

"I know. Only because I fell asleep."

"Yeah. Maybe we should stay away from seafood tonight just in case that had something to do with it."

"Sounds good. Oh... you know what really sounds good? Spaghetti. Or... lasagna. That sounds better. Oh, you know, maybe a burger. Yeah, let's find a good burger place."

"Oh, I see what they rest of the pregnancy has in store for me already. You're going to be the late-night craving queen, I can tell already," Callie says, leaning in to give Arizona another kiss.

"Hey..." Arizona pouts.

"I'm not complaining! I will get you whatever you want, whenever you want."

"Is that right?"

"It sure is. And, I also happen to have some services that might interest you."

"Really? And what would these... services... be?" Arizona asks, reaching over to run her fingers over Callie's lips.

"Well," Callie says, reaching for Arizona's finger and pulling it into her mouth. "I offer several. I can..."

"Mommy! Momma! I'm hungry!" They hear Zac yelling from outside the bedroom and they start laughing.

"Just a minute!" Callie yells. "That kid has impeccable timing sometimes."

"Yeah. He does..." Arizona says, laughing. "Well, you can fill me in on those 'services' after we get our son to bed tonight.

"Oh, I can do more than fill you in on them... I may even offer a nice demonstration."

"Calliope. It's going to be a long day if you put those thoughts in my head." Arizona says laughing.

"Good. Then you will be more than ready tonight, if that's the case," Callie says, wiggling her eyebrows, walking up next to Arizona and grabbing her butt.

"You are just mean," Arizona smiles. "Let's go get that kid fed and get some food into this one too. She's hungry."

"She, huh?"

"I just have a feeling, Calliope."


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Arizona is up early this morning. It's their last full day of vacation and she is really dreading going home tomorrow. Callie and Zac are still sleeping so she decides to make her way out to the kitchen to grab some juice. Heading to the balcony with her phone in hand, she opens the door and walks out, careful to leave the door cracked just a bit in case Zac wakes up.

She decides to catch up on her social networking sites and even posts a few pictures from the week. As she is sitting their scrolling through her newsfeed, she gets a call from Tim.

" _Hey, sis. How's it going?"_

" _Amazing. The water is beautiful and Zac is never going to want to leave. I mean, we don't want to leave so we can't blame him," Arizona laughs. "So, what's going on? Everything ok?"_

" _Oh, yeah. Everything is fine. Just kind of have a question."_

" _Ok. Shoot."_

" _So, that Erica girl that Callie works with. What's her deal?"_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _Well, I ran into her at the store yesterday and I remembered her from your surprise party. So, I tried to talk to her. She totally blew me off. She said hi, but then said she was in a hurry and had to go."_

" _How is that blowing you off? She may have really needed to he somewhere."_

" _Arizona, come on. Girls usually don't just walk away from me. I can take when someone isn't that interested. But, that makes me more determined._

" _Well, she isn't your typical girl. I don't know her really, but Callie says she is nice. But she is going through some personal stuff, so if she did blow you off, that's probably why."_

" _What kind of personal stuff?"_

" _Well," Arizona laughs. "There is an ex-fiancé who doesn't want the baby she is carrying stuff and a parent who isn't doing well stuff."_

" _Oh. So, she got knocked up and then the guy didn't want the baby?"_

" _Something like that. But her dad wasn't doing well anyway, so she moved back home."_

" _Hm."_

" _Tim, she has her hands full. Besides, you don't really want to get involved with someone who has as much going on as she does right this second, do you?"_

 _I love kids, if that's what you are talking about."_

" _I know you do. That's not what I was saying. It's not that. She just broke up with her fiancé though, on top of expecting. On top of taking care of her parents. It's just a lot and she is probably pretty emotional. It might not be the best time to start a relationship. And you don't know her either."_

" _That's the point of dating... isn't it? I think I'm going to ask her out."_

" _She doesn't even seem like your type, Tim. You usually go for a little... perkier."_

" _Well look how that has turned out for me."_

" _It's whatever you want."_

" _Can you get her number from Callie for me?"_

" _I'm sure I could."_

" _Thanks. Maybe text it to me later. Look, I gotta go. Love you and hope you guys have a great last day. Miss you guys. It's quiet around here with you gone."_

" _If I don't forget, I will. We miss you too. Bye Time."_

" _Bye!"_

Arizona hangs up and shakes her head. She isn't sure getting involved with Erica is the best thing for him. Callie seems to like her well enough though, so maybe she needs to give him her number.

Watching the waves, she doesn't hear Callie come up behind her.

"You know, I could sit here all day and watch you watch the waves."

"Well, I'm sure it might be entertaining for us, but our son has other ideas, I'm sure," Arizona laughs.

"I think you are right," Callie says, leaning down to give Arizona a kiss. "So, what do you want to do today?"

"Well, I say we hit the beach. After this, who knows when we will make it back. It's not going to be as easy next time."

"I would say you are right," Callie says, smiling. "But, I can't wait. I always wished I would have had siblings. If it weren't for you and Tim, I would have had lonely vacations and been bored out of my mind. I'm glad Zac won't be an only child."

"Me too," nods Arizona, looking away.

"You know," Callie says, pondering something. "If we wouldn't have gotten back together, I never asked... Would you have had more kids?"

Arizona starts to look around, not looking directly at Callie.

"You would have," Callie asserts. "Were you going to do it soon?"

"Calliope…"

"Sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"No. You can ask me anything. You know that. I just… I hate thinking of out life apart know. Zac is the only good thing that happened during that time. I just, I don't like to think about it. But, to answer your question, it was just starting to cross my mind some. It was something I was ready to do right at that second, but I did want more. I would say within the next year or so I would have been ready. I just, didn't want to do it alone."

"I still can't believe how out of my mind I was."

"Well, I won't disagree," Arizona laughs. "But, we are past it and everything is good now. Really, really good." Arizona pulls Callie down to sit on her lap but Callie shakes her head.

"No way José. You can sit on mine, but I'm not squishing our baby."

"Calliope, are you kidding me? Was I that bad when you were pregnant? I don't remember being a pain in your butt?" Arizona asks, with raised eyebrows.

"Arizona Torres, I know you aren't implying that I am a pain in your butt right now."

"Calliope, I think…"

"Momma!"

"I think I'm saved by a beautiful little boy," Arizona says, laughing.

"Mmhm…" Callie laughs as she walks back in to check on Zac. "Hey little man, you ready to spend the day at the beach?"

"Yep. Can we make a big stand castle?"

"We sure can. We will even take pictures and send them to uncle Tim, how does that sound?"

"He will love it! Now can we eat? My tummy is growling."

"Yep. Why don't you go out on the balcony and say good morning to mommy while I fix us something," she said giving him a kiss on the cheek and heading to the kitchen.

Several hours later and Arizona is taking pictures of Zac and his sand castle and sending it to Tim. She also sends Erica's number, with a little urging from Callie.

Each day on the beach has been wonderful. They have spent the days on the beach, then get showered and head out for dinner and some shopping. Tonight is no different, except tonight, they are going to the pirate dinner show.

After getting ready and in the car, they are almost there when Zac starts asking where they are going. Callie is staying strong though, and sticking to this being a surprise. She is glad they did when they pull in and Zac can see that it isn't your typical restaurant. He starts getting excited but they still won't tell him exactly what it is.

After walking in, they have to wait in line for just a little bit, but they occupy him by visiting the pirate gift shop. They buy him a pirate hat and a sword and he thinks it is the coolest.

When the dinner show doors finally open, they are able to make their way to their second row seats. When Zac finally takes note of what is there, he becomes ecstatic.

"Mommy, Momma! Pirate ships! Look! Do you see?"

Callie nods, with a big smile on her face.

"We see that! Isn't it cool?" Arizona says, watching his eyes light up.

"Just wait. It gets even better. We might see some pirates!"

"Really?" Zac yells.

"Really. We get to watch the pirates while we eat," Arizona smiles.

"This is the coolest place ever!"

Drinks are brought around by waiters, who happened to be dressed as pirates. The food is delivered shortly after the drinks. As they are eating, the lights dim and the pirates make their way onto the boat sitting in the water in the middle if the arena.

Singing and swashbuckling make their dinner enjoyable, along with some acrobats and plank walking. Zac is enthralled with it, finally climbing into Callie's lap so he can see better.

"Momma, look! Did you see that?" Zac pointed to the cannon that just exploded, with wide eyes.

The show continues with several "Look!" and "Did you see that's?" from Zac. The two women loved watching his little face light up at all the excitement. Even the women enjoyed themselves.

After the show ended, Zac wanted to meet the pirates, so they took him down to meet them and took some pictures of him with them.

Once in the car, Zac rattled on and on about the show. "I think it is safe to say, that was the highlight of his trip!" Callie beamed looking at Arizona.

"I think you are right. It is probably good we saved that for last. I don't think we could top that if we tried," Arizona says, laughing.

The chattering from the back seat suddenly stops and Arizona turns around to see that Zac fell asleep.

"And just like that… he is out," Arizona laughs.

"We totally wore him out," Callie says smiling. "How are you feeling? I noticed you didn't eat much.

"It's getting better. I think it was the fried chicken. I don't think fried stuff goes over too well."

"We can stop somewhere and get you something else to eat?"

"No, that's ok. I ate most of everything else. I just couldn't finish all of it."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"In that case, when we get back to the resort, I'll carry him up and get him tucked in. While I'm doing that, you get ready for bed and I'm going to run down to the restaurant and grab us some dessert. How does that sound?"

"Mmm... that sounds good. Maybe we can sit on the balcony and eat?"

"Sounds perfect."

A little while later, they do just that. Arizona manages to finish all her cheesecake and even has a few bites of Callie's hot fudge cake.

"I hate to leave tomorrow. I feel like as soon as we get home, summer will be over and school will be starting," Arizona says, sighing.

"That's because it will," Callie says, laughing. "You know, we need to sit down and look at your spring semester and see what you want to do after the baby comes. Will you want to teach the whole semester or just find someone to fill in for you?"

"I've been thinking about that. I think I'm just going to take the whole semester off. There's no point in starting it if I'm missing half of it anyway. Is that ok?"

"Honey, that's more than ok. You don't have to work at all if you don't want to."

"I do. I just think taking a few months off, then I would have the summer too, it would be nice."

"And I agree. I think that sounds perfect."

"Will you be able to take time off? I don't know what Bellas' policy is on that kind of thing."

"Addie will let me have whatever I want. Keep in mind I pretty well worked for her for pennies until she was turning a profit and could actually hire me."

"Oh, yeah. I forget about that. I just know I want you home with us for a little while."

"I was thinking about taking a month off. Then I could ease back into working the following two weeks or so. Erica should be back from her leave by then, so it should work out."

"I can't believe Tim wanted her number."

"Why? She's nice. I mean, totally not who I would have thought he would be interested in," Callie says. "He usually goes for pretty girls. At least he did a while ago."

"Yeah. Not who I pictured him being interested in either," Arizona nods.

"Are you ready for bed? We have to be up early to pack and get things loaded up. And our son isn't going to want to leave, so there is always that to look forward to," Callie laughs.

"Well, we are the moms. We can handle a toddler. We've got this."

"We will see which one of us ends up in tears," Callie laughs again.

"Thank you, Calliope. This has been the best vacation, ever."

"I'm glad you liked it. We need to make it a thing. We need to plan to go somewhere every year. It doesn't have to be a major vacation. Just sitting with our toes in the sand and watching our kids play is enough for me. I don't need fancy stuff. I just love spending time with you guys."

"We are so lucky to have you Calliope."

"We are both lucky. I love you, too, Arizona."

The next day, they manage to make it out of the resort with minimal tears from anyone. Just as they are pulling back through town, the phone rings.

"Hey Tim," Arizona says, answering her phone. "Yeah, we are just pulling into town. What's wrong?" Arizona asks, eyes growing as Tim talks on the other side of the phone. "We will be right there."

Hanging up the phone, Arizona looks at Callie.

"Honey, what's going on? What happened?" Callie asks.

"Tim stopped by the house. He thought we might be home. He said someone broke into the house. He has already called the police."


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Arriving at their house, they are greeted by two policeman and Tim, standing on the front porch. A third officer comes out holding a clipboard.

"What's going on?" Callie asks, as she and Arizona make it to the porch. Tim reaches out and takes Zac from Callie as Callie turns to look at the officer.

"From what we can tell, nothing big is missing. Some things are a little messed up though and scattered about. Obviously, we need the need for the two of you to do a walk through with us and let us know if anything is missing, especially as far as jewelry and things of that nature go."

"Sure, we will do that. How did they get in?"

"There was an open window in the back of the house. It wasn't broken, just open."

Arizona nods, saying that throughout the spring, she would raise the windows quite a bit and that she must not have locked it the last time she used it.

"Tim, will you keep him while we do the walk through?"

"Sure thing. How about I take him back to the house with me? Give you two time to sort things?"

"Yeah," Arizona says. "That might be for the best. Let me go grab a few things and I'll be right back."

Arizona runs to his room and packs a small bag and returns, sending Tim and Zac on their way.

"Ok ladies, you ready?" The officer opens the door and lets them go first. They start downstairs and make their way through the bottom floor. Nothing is missing but there are some things thrown in the floor.

They head upstairs and check the guest bedroom and Zac's room. Nothing is missing or out of place in those rooms. Once in their bedroom, they notice the bedspread is somewhat messed up from when they left it and some clothes are scattered over the floor. They check the room and find that nothing is missing. Not even jewelry.

"I don't know about you, but to come in and sit on our bed, pull things out of drawers but not take anything is just... weird." Arizona continues to look at the bed then walks back over to the jewelry box. "I mean, who breaks in and doesn't take anything?"

"We see it more often than you think. Sometimes they are looking for something in particular, so while you may have other valuables, if it isn't exactly what they are looking for, they leave it. You would think they would take something to make it worth their while though. Actually, this is the third break-in just this week and only one had anything stolen, and surprisingly, the items only totaled about fifty bucks. Whoever it is, is looking for something in particular."

Callie continues to look around and then looks at what's on the floor. "It's funny. It's only my stuff that's on the floor."

"Hm." Arizona nods, looking at the mess on the floor. "You're right. Nothing of mine is down there."

"Do you think that means anything?" Callie asks the police.

"I'll make note of it, but probably not. Could have been they were just getting started. Something could have spooked them and they left. Never know, but I'll make a note of that just so it's in the records."

They make one final sweep of the house with the officers before the men walk around the property and do a final search. Checking back in with the women, the officers then leave, saying they will be back in touch if they find something out.

Walking back upstairs after shutting the door, Callie starts picking up her clothes and putting them in the hamper, while also pulling the sheets off the bed and putting new ones on.

"I can't stand the thought of sleeping here when some stranger was in here sitting on our bed. It's just... gross," Callie says, making a face.

"I know. I know they didn't take anything, but I kind of still feel violated. You know?"

"I know," Callie says, walking over and putting her arms around Arizona. "You feel ok?"

"Yeah. Just tired and now... stressed out."

"I can understand that. But, I'm sure it's nothing. People break into houses every day. Anyone could have been at the diner and heard my mom talking and could have known we were gone. Since they didn't take anything, they could have just been being nosy."

"I hope you are right."

"I probably am," Callie smiles, giving Arizona a kiss. "Why don't you go get changed and we can lay down and watch a movie. We can unpack tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Arizona says, pulling Callie in for a kiss. "Or, we can skip the getting changed part and just get naked."

"Oh, Mrs. Torres, I really like how you are thinking right now. I might just know of a great way to relieve some of that stress you are feeling," Callie says, nibbling on her neck. "We can start by taking off this shirt," Callie says, smiling, reaching down to pull Arizona's shirt off.

Six weeks later, the women have settled into their new fall schedule. Classes have started back for Arizona and her book is doing fabulous, now in the New York Times top 20, sitting at number 12. Arizona doesn't know it yet, but it is expected to break into the top 10 within the next couple of weeks if sales continue the way they have been.

"Callie, I'm glad I caught you," Erica says, walking into Callie's office, seeing Callie with her purse and a laptop in her hand walking towards the door.

"Hey. Yeah, I'm on the way out. What did you need?"

"I have a draft I really want you to look over. It's something from one of our established clients, but I'm having a hard time with it."

"Ok. Something in particular?" Callie asks, wondering why Erica can't handle this on her own.

"I started out making some corrections and highlighting some revisions that needed to be made, but the more I get into it, it's just… terrible."

"Terrible as in, not written well?"

"Some of it is that, the rest is just plain terrible. The story just sucks. I have never edited something this bad. Ever."

"Sounds like that could be a major problem for us. I don't know that I have ever had to tell someone it just overall sucks," Callie chuckles. "Just email it to me. I will try to start on it tomorrow."

"Thanks. I'll let you go, I just wanted to check with you."

"No problem," Callie nods. Then, she remembers something. "Oh, Erica. I'm not trying to get personal, but I hear you have a date tomorrow night?"

Erica nods. "Um, yeah. I do. Your brother-in-law is pretty relentless."

Laughing, Callie says, "Yeah. It's a Robbins thing. They get pretty determined."

"I can see that. I think I told him no about ten times. He has a way about him though, it's hard to get him to take no for an answer. I didn't think I would actually say yes, but I surprised myself."

"He is a good guy. If you decide it's not what you want, don't lead him on

"I won't."

Callie feels like Erica gets what she is saying, so she doesn't say anything more. Teddy already hurt him and she doesn't want to see another friend do the same.

Callie nods, then says, "Well, I need to go. We are actually having dinner with our families tonight."

"Oh. That is unusual," Erica says.

"Yeah, a little. We usually don't have both sets of parents together," Callie says smiling. Not giving Erica time to ask any more questions, she excuses herself. "So, I don't want to be late, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Cal," Erica says, watching Callie walk by her. She pulls out her phone and sends a text, then heads to her own office to pack up.

Walking into the house, Callie is greeted by Zac running into her legs holding his arms up.

"I missed you momma!"

"I missed you too. I love you."

"Love you too," Zac says giggling.

"Where's mommy?"

"In the kitchen with granny and gramps."

"You didn't spill the beans yet, did you?"

"No, mommy told me not to talk about the beans. Or the baby."

"Good," Callie says laughing. "Remember, when we say you can, you can tell them. You just have to wait until we tell you. And then it's just like we practiced."

"Ok, momma," Zac nods.

Callie and Arizona sat down with Zac last night and told him he was going to be a big brother. To say he was excited was an understatement. There was no doubt in their minds about what a great big brother he would be. They had been a little nervous about telling him, but it had gone extremely well. Better than they could have hoped. So tonight, they are going to let Zac tell everyone.

Callie carries Zac into the kitchen and finds Arizona finishing dinner while her mom is putting ice into glasses. The Colonel is sitting at the table reading his paper.

Arizona looks up to see the two of them walk in. "Hey! I missed you today," Arizona says, walking over to give Callie a kiss.

"I missed you too, more than you know."

"You know, you two are as sickening now as you were coming out of high school. I thought we were beyond all that mushiness," Barbara says, wrinkling her nose, but giving a wink so they know she is just playing around. "I'll never forget the first time we caught you two making out. You hadn't told us you were dating yet, and you were both sat there with the biggest eyes. You were scared to death you were going to get into trouble."

"I have to say, you handled the whole coming out thing very well, mom. I don't think we made out after that in either of our houses for a long time. We took all those walks in the woods though," Arizona says laughing, earning an eye roll from her mom. "But, what can I say? I think that we are two lucky girls. Some people don't even like each other after they put their wedding bands on. I see it all the time at the college. These kids think they are in love and get married and the next time I see them, they are hanging all over some other kid. It's crazy," Arizona says. "So, I think we are the lucky ones. I love her more now than I ever have."

"Well that's good to hear!" Carlos says, walking in and patting Arizona on the back. "Otherwise, all the mushiness we see between you two is just for nothing," he says, laughing.

"Dad," Arizona says laughing.

"I know!" Barbara agrees. I was just telling them they were mushier now than they were back in their school days."

"I have to say, if our Calliope is going to be getting mushy with anyone, we are so glad it's with your girl," Carlos says, smiling. "Calliope couldn't have picked anyone better."

"Well, they are definitely made for each other," Barbara says. "Lucy, it's good to see you."

"You too. I see the Colonel when he stops in to pick up that blackberry pie from the diner. I don't get to see you that often though," Lucy smiles. "Maybe we need to start a grandma's luncheon every so often."

"Lucy, that sounds like a wonderful idea," Barbara nods.

"Dinner is ready! If you guys all want to find a seat, I already had Zac wash up Calliope. He just needs fastened in his seat."

"Sure thing," Callie says, sitting Zac down. She leans in and whispers, "Wait until we say so." Being the smart kid he is, he nods knowing what she is talking about.

Just as they are sitting down, Tim comes rushing in through the door. "Sorry I'm late," he says, taking a seat by the Colonel.

"Oh, no problem. We are just sitting down," Callie says.

Dinner goes well with conversation flowing freely, when Arizona looks at Callie and raises her eyebrows, getting a nod in return. Arizona takes a deep breath and says, "So, Zac got some new books the other day. You want to tell the about your books Zac?"

He looks at Arizona and his eyes get really big, and he says, "Now?"

"Yep," Arizona says, and then he looks at Callie with questioning eyes too. They rehearsed last night what he was going to say, so Callie just smiles really big and gives him a nod as well.

"I got some new books and they tell me how I can be a good big brother!"

"You did? That's nice," Barbara says, not catching on yet, but Lucy sure did.

"Is he saying what I think he is saying?" Lucy says with wide eyes, smacking Carlos on the leg.

"I think this is their way of telling us we are going to have another grandbaby!" Carlos says, nodding, looking at the girls for confirmation.

Callie starts shaking her head up and down, "It is. Arizona is pregnant!" Callie reaches over and pulls Arizona over to her and gives her a kiss. Arizona is all smiles as she hears her mom gasp and her dad clap his hands together a few times as he starts to laugh.

"I'm going to be an uncle again!" Tim says, air pumping his fist.

"Arizona, that is wonderful news," the Colonel says.

"Absolutely wonderful!" Barbara says, getting up to go hug her daughter and Callie, followed by Lucy as well.

"Girls, we are so happy for you. Zac! I can't believe you are going to be a big brother! Are you excited?" Carlos asks.

"Yep. Mommy and Momma said I will be the best big brother ever."

"Hey, you know, I was a pretty awesome big brother to your mommy, so I can give you some pointers. I can definitely teach you some stuff there, big guy. Us brothers have to protect our little sister, or brother."

"Yeah, mommy said you were the best until me. But now I am going to be the best."

"I'd say mommy is one smart lady."

"Oh, I can't wait!" The mothers said the same thing almost in unison, causing everyone at the table to laugh.

"So, not to get into specifics with this big guy here, but there is something you should know. We used the same donor as last time, so they will be related by blood, but I am carrying Callie's baby."

"What?" Lucy asks, looking at Carlos and then back to the two women. "I didn't think..." She then pauses, trying to think things through.

Callie nods, understanding what her mom is thinking. "When they told me that I couldn't have anymore, they meant physically. Arizona brought up that they didn't mention anything about my eggs So, she wanted to use them."

"Arizona. I can't believe you would do that," Lucy says, shaking her head.

Arizona gets a confused look on her face, as does Callie. "I don't understand. I thought it would be amazing to have a baby that was Calliope's."

Seeing how Arizona misunderstood what she was saying, Lucy says, "No, Arizona, it is wonderful. It is absolutely wonderful! I just can't believe you offered to do that. You are an amazing woman and Calliope is so blessed to have you."

"She is amazing," Callie says, picking up Arizona's hand to kiss her. "It was her idea. She is a wonderful woman that I am so lucky to get to call my wife. She is the most giving woman I have ever known and I am so lucky to get to parent our kids with her."

"Calliope…" Arizona says, wiping a few tears. "You need to stop. You are making me cry."

Everyone starts chuckling. "Girls, we couldn't be more happy for you. All three of you. And we can't wait to meet the newest little Torres!" Barbara says, smiling and wiping a tear away of her own.

"Well, I'm pumped, guys! I can't believe I get another little munchkin to spoil!" Tim says, grinning.

A few hours later, Callie and Arizona are laying in bed, discussing the last few hours.

"Our parents and Tim were really excited," Callie says.

"Yeah, they were. I have to admit, I had some concerns that my parents, well, more my mom than dad, but I was a little concerned she wouldn't be quite as thrilled when she found out it is your baby."

"Our baby Arizona. Just my egg. This baby is just as much yours."

"I know that. I just… I was worried how she would really take it. I know she has been doing great with everything since we worked stuff out, but I was worried she would get upset with me."

"I know. I had a small concern too. But she was so excited. And just wait, she will love this baby as much as she loves Zac."

"I know she will. I can't wait Calliope. Zac is so excited. I think we are going to have to read those new books to him every night. He wants the baby to sleep in his room, but I told him we would turn the guest room into a room for the baby."

"Yeah, he asked me about it too," Callie says, chuckling. "So, I may or may not have talked to Erica today. About Tim."

"What did you say?"

"Basically, not to lead him on if she didn't feel the same way. That's all."

"That's all?"

"Yep. I went easy on her."

"Hopefully she is not leading him on. When I was in your office the other day, she didn't look like she was showing at all."

"You know, I noticed that too. She would obviously be farther along than you. But then I noticed that she never wears anything tight either. It's all loose. So, that's probably covering it up."

"That could be. Well, I'm exhausted. Will you hold me?"

Callie turns over and pulls Arizona into her. "Forever and always, my love.'"


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

The phone rings as Callie is walking into her office. She sits her stuff down and hurries to answer it before the caller hangs up. "Hello. Callie Torres, may I help you?"

"Yes, you may!"

"Addie! Oh my gosh. I miss you so much!"

"Then you need to hear me out before you just flat out say no. Then you will be able to see me."

"Ok… what's up?"

"Well, I will give you the great part first. Arizona is going to be sitting at number eight when NYT publishes the list tomorrow."

"What?" Callie exclaims. "Are you serious? That's... that's amazing!"

"I sure am. She made the top ten. I knew she would. The book is fantastic," Addie says. "She is going to be so excited."

"Oh my gosh. I know. She is going to be ecstatic. And I have to say, and excited Arizona equals a horny Arizona. Which makes me happy," Callie laughs.

"TMI Cal. Anyway, the next part you need to hold your horses before you answer me. Let me finish. Can you do that?"

"Sure."

"Remember you said that. So… we have received a call for a national tv appearance, since she will be breaking into the top ten."

"Awesome," Callie says.

"Stay with me then," Addie says, dreading this next part. "New York Daily wants to have her on next week."

"No."

"Callie,"

"No, Addie. Absolutely not. I don't want her anywhere near Cameron. Especially now that she is pregnant and stress isn't good for her."

"Callie, Cameron won't be interviewing her. It will be that Robert guy."

"No."

"Callie, just hear me out. You and I will go with her. And Teddy. We can all go. We won't leave her alone with her for even a second. Not one. And she will have some amazing publicity. If it were any other client of ours, you would tell them to do it."

"But she isn't any other client. She is my wife. And my ex happens to be crazy."

"I agree. That's why we won't leave her alone with the crazy ass woman."

"I don't know, Addie. I know it"s a good opportunity and all, but it's a lot to ask right now. She will be ok even if she doesn't go on."

"I know. But she has a real shot at having a number one best seller. Do you want Cameron to be the reason she doesn't do this?"

Staying quiet for a minute, Callie finally says, "I'll talk to her. But it will be her choice. I won't discourage her but I sure as hell won't make her go."

"That's all I ask. So, how are you guys doing? How is she feeling?"

"She is doing good. There wasn't much morning sickness anyway, but that's all went away. She is doing great. And, the sex is awesome. She is always in the mood. It's fantastic," Callie swoons.

"Ugh," Addie moans. "I don't want to hear it. I haven't seen Addie in three weeks now. This is for the birds. I am having to take matters into my own hands, and it isn't satisfying."

"Addie, I don't want to hear about that."

"You are the one who brought up sex. So, if you are going to talk about it, so am I."

"If you guys are going to keep seeing each other, you are going to have to work something out."

"I know, I know. I meant to be back down there by now, but I have had a few family engagements on the weekends. I invited Teddy, but she said she wasn't ready for the whole meet the family thing yet."

"She is going to have to at some point."

"I know. And she says she knows that too. I think she is getting there. I think she is more intimidated by their money than she is the fact that this is her first relationship with a woman."

"Have you told your family you are seeing a woman?"

"Yeah. They could care less. You know how they are... it's all about work. As long as I'm successful, they don't care about anything else."

"Well, if we come, we will make her come with us."

"Good. My hand is starting to hurt."

"Addie! I going to go..."

Erica comes walking in and sits down as Callie tells her she will call back tonight and let her know what they decided about the trip.

"Hey, Erica. What's up?"

"I should ask you. You have a funny look on your face."

"Oh, it's nothing major. Just a chance for Arizona to go on New York Daily."

"Nothing major? That sounds exciting!" Erica smiles, raising her eyebrows. "Why are you looking like that though. You should be excited."

"It's a long story. Anyway, what brings you here?"

"Oh, just wondering what We should do with that draft I sent you last week? The really bad one."

"Yeah," Callie says laughing. I will call him in a little bit. That's not something we can fix. He is going to have to do a rewrite. A whole rewrite. I have never, in my whole career, had to call someone and tell them something was just... that bad."

"I should be the one to call. It's my story. I just didn't know if you agreed."

"I totally agree. Are you sure you want to call? I didn't know how comfortable you were with doing the dirty work."

"More comfortable than you think," Erica says with a small chuckle.

"So, how are things going with Tim? It's been a few weeks now."

"Yeah, things are going well. He has really surprised me. He is even ok with the baby."

"You know, I have been meaning to ask you. How far along are you?"

"Five months. I just started having to wear maternity jeans in the last week. It's kind of funny, most women have started way before this. The doctor hasn't been worried though, because they ultrasounds have been right on point."

"Do you know what you are having?"

"It's a girl."

"Congratulations. You must be excited."

"I am. I have already started decorating the nursery. I chose to go with purple instead of pink. I think pink is overdone."

"I agree. Arizona seems to think if ours if a girl that it needs to be pink as well. I am not a fan of pink though. We have an ultrasound next week, so we will see. Could be decorating in blue."

"It's exciting no matter the color, isn't it?"

"It is. Well, I better hit this new story I just got. It's going to be a long day." Callie gives Erica a smile as she stands up and heads for her door.

"Well, I'm going to go get this call over with. I don't think I have ever dreaded a call this bad."

"If he gives you crap, just schedule a meeting and we can both sit down with him and go over stuff. Make sure he knows a sit-down will not change our minds though."

"Sure thing," Erica says, walking out.

Callie finishes her day and is dreading the talk she knows she has to have with Arizona after she gets home. She can see Arizona wanting to go, but she isn't sure that being around Cameron is worth all the stress. As she is leaving, she heads to check in with Erica about the call she made this morning. Her day ended up getting hectic and she even worked through lunch.

As she approaches her door, she hears her talking.

"I told you, I'm done," she hears Erica say. As she walks in, Erica looks a little flustered.

"Everything oK?"

Looking up, Erica seems surprised to see Callie standing there. "Um, yeah. It was my ex."

"Oh. Well, anything you want to talk about?"

"No. I'm good. Thanks."

"Ok. Well, if you change your mind, let me know. How did the call to the village idiot go this morning?"

Laughing, Erica says, "He wanted to argue at first, but when I told him that was our final decision, he admitted to being stoned while writing most of it. He is going to back to the drawing board."

"Good. I wasn't looking forward to a battle over that. Well, I'm off. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See ya, Cal."

Heading home, Callie tries to think of a million reasons they shouldn't do the New York trip, but she knows Addie is right. Arizona has a good shot at hitting the top of the Times list and she doesn't want to keep her from doing it if that's what she wants.

Callie waits until after dinner and Zac is in bed, before she brings up the conversation.

"So, come here," Callie says, reaching for Arizona's hand and leading her to the couch. "I have some news for you."

"You are making me sit down, so this doesn't look like good news."

"No, it is. It just has a little kink thrown into it. And no, not the good kind of kink, just in case you are wondering," Callie laughs, pulling her to sit beside her and grabbing her hand.

"Ok..." Arizona says, raising her eyebrows indicating she is waiting on Callie to elaborate.

"So, Addie called this morning. The New York Times list that is being released tomorrow, has your book at number eight."

"Calliope, are you serious?!" Arizona squeals as Callie nods. "And you waited all night to tell me?"

"Well, yeah. Because I didn't want to have this conversation around Zac. Because there is more."

"Ok," she nods. "What's that?"

"Well, New York Daily got ahold of Bellas and they want you to do an interview with them next week. Robert whatever would be doing the interview. It wouldn't be with Cameron, but, I'm sure she will still be there, seeing as that's where she works."

"Oh."

"Yeah. There's the kink. I mean, being number eight is amazing. And under any other circumstances, doing the interview would be an amazing opportunity as well. But in our case, it comes with a side of crazy woman."

"I know. But, it is a great opportunity. It could really help with publicity and get it further up the list. I don't want her to keep me from achieving that, you know?"

"I know. So if that's what you want to do, then we do it. But, you won't be left alone while there, at all. There's no way in hell she will be given the opportunity to be alone with you at all."

"Calliope, I don't want this to be a big deal. I'm sure she won't start anything in her place of work."

"You better believe she won't. Because, Addie and I, and Addie said to bring Teddy, will all be there. That asshole won't have the chance to get near you. You are pregnant with our baby. The last thing I want is her causing you any stress at all. I won't keep you from going, but I will make sure she doesn't stress you out."

"So, I would have my own posse to keep me safe? My own little group of bodyguards..." Arizona says, smiling.

"Honey, I will always guard your body," Callie says, leaning over to give her a kiss. "I'm so proud of you. I knew you could do it. And if you want to do the interview to try to get a little higher on the list, I will stand by you."

"I want to do it. I'm not letting her get in my way. She isn't worth it."

"She isn't. So, I guess you need to tell Teddy she is going to New York with us. I think Addie just wanted an excuse to have Teddy there," Callie says, laughing.

"I'm sure. Teddy has been pretty whiny lately since Addie hasn't been back in a few weeks."

"We will want to make sure not to stay with Addie then. We will for sure get a hotel. And I think we need to leave Zac here. I don't want him exposed to anything to do with Cameron."

"I agree. I would rather leave him here for this trip too," Arizona nods. We can throw it out there and see which grandparent jumps on it first.

"Sounds good to me," Callie confirms. "You know, we have the ultrasound next week, so when we go, we will be able to do some big city shopping."

"I'm still a little disappointed that you don't believe me. We will be buying pink stuff."

"I'm sorry. I just want to be sure before we go to town buying pink. Oh... That reminds me. Erica said she is five months along and is having a girl. Does Tim know that?"

"I don't know. He hasn't really talked much about it. That tells me he likes her."

"That's weird. You would think the more he likes her, the more he would talk about her."

"He used to be like that. But then when things didn't work out, he would be embarrassed for talking the relationship up so much. So, he kind of became an introvert with his relationships. Except with Teddy. And he knew we were hearing stuff from her too, so he rambled. But then once again, it came back to bite him in the butt. So, this time, he just isn't talking much about it."

"Well, hopefully it works out. I overheard her talking to her ex today. I walked in on the end of a conversation. She was telling him she was done with it."

"Hm. Sounds like he may be giving her a hard time. Think I should mention it to Tim?"

"Nah. She seemed pretty adamant. I don't think she is going anywhere."

"Ok. Well, you ready for bed? I have a long day tomorrow."

"I'm always ready for bed with you. You don't even have to ask. Just drag me. But then again, you don't have to drag me if I am going willingly."

"I love you Calliope."

"I love you too. I'll call Addie tomorrow morning and let her know we will be there next week."


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

"Good afternoon ladies! Are we looking forward to seeing this baby today?"

"Yes, we are! We can't wait! I need to prove myself right. I keep telling Calliope it's a girl but she doesn't believe me." Arizona beams as the doctor comes in and grabs the ultrasound wand and gel, then squirts the gel on her stomach.

"I'm not saying I don't believe you, but we are only human. We get it wrong sometimes," Callie smiles, taking ahold of Arizona's hand.

"Ok, well, here we go," the doctor says, turning on the screen and taking some gel, spreading it out over Arizona's abdomen. Taking a few minutes to look around, Arizona gets impatient.

"I wish I was a doctor. I would probably be an amazing doctor and I could understand what you are looking at."

Laughing, the doctor says, "Well, I'm sure you would have been an amazing doctor too. I can see you being a pediatric doctor. You seem like you would be wonderful with kids. But for today, your wait is over. I'll show you what I'm looking at. Here," she says, pointing to something on the screen, "we have a leg. And another leg," she says, pointing to something else. "And here, this thing right here..."

"That would be an arm," Arizona says.

"Nope," the doctor cuts in. "That would be another leg," she says, as Arizona's hand flies to her mouth and Callie lets out a gasp. "And here... is the fourth and final leg," she smiles looking over at the two women.

"We're having twins," Arizona says, as Callie looks down and wipes a now falling tear off Arizona's cheek and gives her a kiss.

"I can't believe it. We are having twins," Callie says, now having tears stream down her own face. She leans down to give Arizona another kiss and says, "Thank you. I love you, so much."

"I love you too, Calliope," Arizona pulls Callie down to give her another kiss.

"Do we want to know the sexes now?" The doctor asks, trying not to rush them too much, but making sure she stays on track for her next appointment.

Laughing, they both say, "Definitely!" at the same time.

"Well, baby A is... a girl!"

"See, I told you Calliope!" Arizona breaks out into a laugh as tears are still falling.

"You did. I can't believe we are having a girl!"

"Hold on ladies, there's one more. You want to know this one too?"

"You know we do," Arizona says, laughing.

"Well, in that case," the doctor says, moving the wand a little bit more, "baby B would be a... boy."

"One of each! Calliope, we are really having one of each!"

"I know baby. I'm so happy. I love you so much. Zac is going to be so excited."

"Oh, I know. I can't wait to tell him," Arizona says, with a radiant smile. "I can't seem to stop these tears," she says laughing, as she wipes yet more than are falling.

"Now," the doctor says, "how about we listen to some heartbeats." She moves the wand around and soon, baby A's heartbeat can be heard, followed by baby B's.

"That's one of the most amazing sounds…" Callie says, leaning to give Arizona another kiss.

The doctor looks up at them and smiles. "Congratulations ladies. I don't see couples quite as in love as you are very often. Now… since we know there are two now, we need to take some extra precautions…"

Several hours later, Callie and Arizona are standing in front of a clothes rack, with Arizona holding up matching pink and blue sleepers. "Aren't these adorable Calliope! Oh my gosh, I can't believe how much fun this is!"

"Have I told you how much I love you?" Arizona says, taking both sleepers from her hand, and putting them in the shopping bag.

"You have, but I never get tired of hearing it."

"I will tell you as much as you want to hear it," Callie says, giving her a kiss. "So, I say, we only get a few things. We will be in New York in two days and you will find so many things there. And they can only where so much."

"I know you're right. I just love baby clothes."

"Me too," Callie says smiling. "Why don't we go get check out, then get Zac. We can let your parents know our news and then go see mine. Let them know."

"Sounds wonderful," Arizona says.

As they turn to walk to the check out, Callie stops and reaches for Arizona's hand. "What's wrong Calliope? Did you see something?"

"No. I just... Do you care, if maybe..." Callie stops talking and reaches up and wipes a tear away.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Arizona asks, reaching up to wipe the tears.

"It's just, can we maybe, stop at the cemetery before we get Zac?"

"Honey... of course we can," Arizona says, nodding, then pulling Callie in for a hug. "You don't have to ask if we can do that," she says, shaking her head. "We will stop and grab some flowers. I took some over last week, but they need replaced. OK?"

Callie doesn't talk, but just nods.

A half an hour later, they are walking up to the gravesite with fresh flowers. Arizona takes the old ones out of the vases on either side and replaces them with the fresh ones. They chose some bright colored assortments to place on either side.

"There, that looks better," Arizona nods. "It looks like they just mowed. It looks nice."

"Yeah," Callie nods. "It does."

Arizona watches for a moment before she takes Callie's hand and pulls her to sit down on the bench that she bought a few weeks ago. They have gotten to where they try to come over about once a week, and Arizona knew she couldn't continue to stand for long periods. She found a small bench, just big enough for two, and had Tim bring it and set it up for them.

"You know, I am so unbelievably happy. I'm just...ecstatic, you know? But a part of me almost feels guilty. I mean, is it ok to be this happy?"

"I understand how you feel. It's... it's how I felt when I was pregnant with Zac. I realized though, that having another baby didn't erase what I felt for them. They weren't in this world but a second, but they were still our babies. The love I have for them didn't disappear when Zac came along. And, I figured out that me being happy and having Zac, that didn't take away from how I felt for them. I just knew, that from that point forward, I was a mother to three children. And now, we are mothers to four. I don't feel guilty because I don't love them any less. I just... I remember, that as Iong as I still love them and remember them, that's what is important. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah. It does," Callie says, wiping her eyes.

"Calliope, this is what makes you a wonderful mom. What you are feeling, it's perfectly normal. If you didn't feel this way, there would probably be something wrong. I fought with it for a while, but like I said, I realize that as long as I love them, they are always right here," Arizona says, pointing towards her heart.

"I know. I just... It's just hard to explain, I guess."

"You don't have to. Because I understand. More than I could ever express to you, I understand. Just know that this doesn't change how much we loved them. How much we wanted them. I am so proud that they were ours, even if just for a moment."

Callie doesn't say anything, she just leans her head on Arizona's shoulder. They sit there for about a half an hour, neither saying anything else. Just taking some time to remember, to be grateful, and to be thankful that they have each other.

"Well, we should probably get going. Zac is going to be looking for us, I'm sure," Callie says, standing up and holding her hand out for Arizona to take.

"Calliope, I'm always here for you, you know that, right?"

"I do."

"And if you need to come and just sit, we will do that. If you need to cry, I'll give you a shoulder to cry on. But I am here, and I'm not going anywhere. I just don't want you to shut me out if there is something that you need to talk about. Ok?"

"Arizona, I promise you, I won't shut down on you. That's why I wanted you to come with me here. I just, needed a minute. But I am not going anywhere."

"I didn't say you were."

"I know you didn't. But you have to be worried, somewhere in the back of your mind, that I might get to where it's too much. But I promise you, I will talk whatever doubts or worries I have, I'll talk them over with you. I promise."

"That's all I ask," Arizona says, as she pulls Callie into a hug, before leading back to the car.

On the ride to Arizona's parents' to get Zac, they discuss how they are going to tell Zac. They decide to stop and get two balloons and give them to him, so that he might actually relate two balloons to two babies. They hadn't really prepared him for the possibility of there actually being two.

Walking into the house, Arizona doesn't bother to hide the balloons. Her mom looks up and sees them, and says, "So, which color are we celebrating?" Her mom can hardly control her excitement.

Zac is sitting on her mom's lap so she asks Zac to come over to sit on her lap.

"So, Zac, guess what..."

"What mommy?"

"Well," Callie says, stooping down to where she is eye level with Zac and Arizona both. "What would you say if we said you were going to have a baby sister?"

"You mean, a girl?"

"Yep. A girl," Callie says, smiling and handing him one of the balloons.

"Oh, girls! I am so happy for you! I can't believe it!" Barbara is so excited she jumps up off the couch. Before she can get to Arizona, Callie holds up a finger, motioning for her to give them just a second. Barbara stops and watches, not saying anything else just yet.

"Girls are ok," Zac says, shrugging his shoulders, causing the women to laugh.

"I'm glad you think so. But... what if we also told you, there was another baby," Callie says, handing Zac the second balloon, "and that the other baby is a little boy. So, there will be two babies! A boy and a girl!" Arizona says, reaching down to tickle the little blonde.

"Boys are cool," Zac smiles, reaching up to play with the balloons.

Barbara can't contain her excitement. "Oh, my goodness! Twins!" She rushes over and leans down to give Arizona a hug, then reaches over to give Callie a hug as well.

"Girls, I couldn't be happier for you. Your dad and Tim are going to just be over the moon," Barbara gushes. "I need to go call your dad!"

That causes both of the women to laugh, and then they continue to chat with Zac about being a big brother to not one, but two babies. The longer they talk, the more he warms up to the idea of having two."

Later, after going through breaking the news to not only Callie's parents, but to Tim, Teddy, and Addie, the women are exhausted. "After making visits and calls and taking our son out to eat, I am exhausted," Arizona says, finally climbing into bed.

"I can kind of relate, although I am positive I am not near as tired as you are," Callie says, laying down next to Arizona and pulling her over so they can cuddle.

"I still can't believe it. And I told you there was a girl in there," Arizona says, smugly.

"Well, you were right, for one of them anyway," Callie says chuckling.

"Hey, right is right. I knew there was a mini Calliope in there," Arizona says, rubbing her belly.

Callie's phone starts ringing, so she begrudgingly reaches over to answer the phone, wondering who would be calling so late.

"I don't recognize the number," she says, but answers it anyway.

"Hello. Hello?" Callie pulls the phone away, and hits the button, then sets the phone down on the table beside them.

"Who was it?"

"I don't know. Nobody answered. Probably someone butt dialing by accident," she says, laughing.

"I do that all the time," Arizona says, nodding.

"Me too. Addie threatened to cancel my phone at one point because I butt dialed her so much. I had to remind her she wasn't paying my bill so she didn't' get that luxury." Callie laughs, remembering back.

"I'm not that bad," Arizona says. "So, we need to find some names."

"About that... have you really looked at the I names lately. I think we should have went with a letter that offered more."

Laughing, Arizona says, "Yeah, I have looked. But, I have to say, Inez is one of my favorites," causing Callie to pull away and look at her.

"Please tell me you kidding."

"Calliope, I can't believe you would ask that."

"Well, you are kidding... right?"

"Maybe."

"Arizona, there isn't a lot to choose from."

"Calliope, I wanted I names because I wanted you to like your middle name. It was a way for the kids to have something in common with you. We don't want to go with a different letter now."

"If Inez is the best you have, we are switching letters."

"Oh, come on now. I may have my heart set on Inez."

"Then we are going to have a civil war, Torres style."

Laughing, Arizona says, "You know, I have some names picked out that I think will be just perfect. And no, Inez isn't one of them."

"Oh, thank you. I just don't know if I could handle that. So, whatcha got?"

"Well, I was thinking..."


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 43

Sitting their bags down inside the hotel room door, Callie calls her parents to let them know they made it and to check on Zac. He wasn't very happy that both of his moms were leaving. With the book signings in the past couple months, they have had to leave him more than he is used to, and he isn't liking it very much right now.

"So, mom says he is fine," Callie says, walking up to Arizona, who is looking out the window at the big city. "She said he took a nap and when he woke up, he was fine. He wants to go to the park and swing, so she is getting him some lunch and then they are heading over there."

"Good. I feel so bad that we had to leave him like that." Arizona says, wiping a tear away.

"I know. Me too. The last time wasn't easy, but this was definitely harder. Hopefully it will be the last time for a while, because, with two babies in here," Callie says, rubbing her wife's belly, "we don't need you flying off and being away from home as much."

"I know. You need to quit rubbing my big belly" Arizona laughs. "Every time you do, it seems to get bigger. I need to go buy some more maternity clothes. The past week has made a huge difference in the way some of this stuff is fitting already. I'm going to be huge, I can tell now."

"Well, I was huge with Isaiah and Isabella. So, I can relate to that part. But, I can assure you, you will only get more beautiful the further along you are. Which is saying something, because I already think you are the most beautiful woman in the world."

"I'm so glad I have you. I love you so much," Arizona says, pulling Callie in for a breathtaking kiss.

"I think we have some time before we have to meet Teddy and Addie for dinner. What do you say we make good use of this time?" Callie says, wiggling her eyebrows and pulling Arizona to the bed.

"You read my mind so well," Arizona smirks, gladly letting Callie pull her to the bed.

A little bit later, they are walking into the restaurant, hand in hand, looking for Addie and Teddy. "There, they are over there by that fountain."

"Hey guys," Addie says, seeing them walk over to meet her and Teddy. "How are the hot mommas?"

Laughing, Callie says, "I'd have to say very, very satisfied right now."

"Oh, I didn't need to know that," laughs Teddy. "But, as long as we are sharing, so are we," she says, laughing even louder. That causes all of them to laugh.

Over dinner, Addie and Callie discuss some things going on in the office and decide that Callie and Arizona should come to the office tomorrow to see Meredith and the gang before they head home.

"So, twins. How did Zac take the news?" Addie asks, as she takes a sip of her sparkling water. They all decided they wouldn't drink since Arizona can't.

"He is adjusting. We bought him some books that kind of helped explain it. He is more excited for the brother than the sister though," Callie says, laughing.

"Yeah, he talks a lot about the baby brother. Not so much the sister," Arizona says, nodding. "But, mom said Tim wasn't real excited when he found out I was a girl either. She said it wasn't until I was born that he was excited. So, I'd say Zac will be the same way."

"I'm sure you are right," Addie says. "So, about tomorrow, are you sure you ok with everything? I talked to New York Daily again today and made sure it would be Robert doing the interview. They assured me it would be. We aren't leaving you alone though."

"I know. Calliope has told me a million times. And," rubbing her stomach, "I'm ok with that."

The next morning, Callie is holding Arizona's hand as she and Arizona, followed by Teddy and Addie, walk into the studios for New York Daily.

"Callie, Arizona, why don't you guys walk behind us," Addie says, pulling Callie back so she and Teddy can go in first.

"Addie, I really don't think that's necessary."

"You never know. I am not about to take chances," Addie says, grabbing ahold of Teddy's hand as they lead the other two in.

They head to the green room and are met by various people, who show them to their dressing room. Arizona is told they will be back in a few minutes to take her to get make-up and hair done.

"Are you ok? I mean, I know you have been worried about me, but I'm sure you have some mixed emotions with being here today," Arizona asks Callie.

"I have you, so I am fine. I told you, she means nothing to me," Callie says, but is cut off from by Arizona.

"That's not what I meant. I know that. I just mean, I know you have some hatred for her, and I know that it's not easy being here without wanting to rip her head off. So, I'm just checking on you."

"I'm fine. Just worried about you."

"Well, I'm fine too. It's going to be ok. Just relax," Arizona nods.

"I hope you are right," Callie says, as the door opens and a crew member comes to take Arizona to make-up.

"I'm coming with her," Callie stands, heading to the door with her.

"There isn't a lot of room, Callie," the crew member says, recognizing her from when she would come to visit Cameron.

"Well, we will just have to squeeze, because I'm coming."

Realizing he shouldn't argue, he leads the women to the back of the studio, where a small room with two make-up/hair dressers await with two chairs. Arizona has a seat in one, while another guest is escorted in to take the other chair.

Callie stands just inside the door, but out of the way. She can see a tv in the corner, that has the show playing on it. The one upside to the morning, is that being live, Cameron will hopefully be occupied the majority of the time they are here this morning. Callie notes that Cameron is currently on screen. She shakes her head as she watches Cameron. She can't believe that she spent time with a woman who turned out to be as ruthless as that woman.

Callie is brought out of her thoughts as Arizona approaches her. "Hey, I'm all done. You ok? You look like you were a thousand miles away."

"Yep, I'm great. And you look beautiful. They fixed your hair different. I like it."

"Yeah, she mentioned a thought she had and it sounded cute. So, I let her try it. I really like it though. She even had this hair thing," she says, pointing to the pin in her hair.

Callie looks at the hair pin and gasps. "What's wrong?" Arizona asks, seeing Callie looking hard at it.

"What? Oh, nothing. Nothing. I was just admiring it. It's pretty. It looks like it has sapphires in it," Callie says, reaching for Arizona's hand and looking around. She and Arizona follow the crew member back to the dressing room. When they get there, she is instructed to go ahead and change, as she goes on in about twenty minutes.

As she heads to the restroom with her change of clothes, Callie hurries and gets Teddy and Addie and takes them into the hallway, so that Arizona can't hear what is said.

"What's wrong, Callie?" Addie asks, seeing the worried look on her face as her eyes dart around the hallway to make sure they are alone.

"Ok, I'm really trying not to freak out here, and I didn't say anything to Arizona, but the hairdresser/make-up lady, she fixed her hair and the lady put a hair pin in it. I bought one just like it last year. I had to special order it. It's not something you can just walk to the drugstore and buy."

"So, being a studio, they probably order their stuff too and not go to the drugstore and buy stuff that's going to be on national tv," Teddy says.

"I get that, I do. But I couldn't find mine right before we left. I hadn't worn it in a while and thought I would use it on the trip. And I didn't think much of it until just now. I just figured in the move, I had just misplaced it. But now, she is wearing one just like it. I mean, it has the small sapphires in it just like mine. Oh my god..." Callie says, covering her mouth.

"What if Cameron had something to do with the break in? And Arizona was with me for one call, but I didn't tell her there had been a few more like it. But someone has been calling and just hanging up. Oh my god. What if she is really crazy enough to have been the one to break in?"

"Ok, first things first. Why don't I go talk to the make-up lady or hair lady or whatever, and just ask her where she got it?" Teddy asks.

"It's worth a shot," Addie says, agreeing to go with her.

"Ok. You guys go do that. I'll stay here with her. If that lady says that she got if from Cameron, then I'm calling the cops." Addie and Teddy take off to find the lady after Callie describes her, and then she goes back into the dressing room before Arizona comes out of the restroom.

A few minutes later, Arizona walks out. "Hey, where is Addie and Teds?"

"Oh, they went to see if there were any major stars hanging around backstage. Usually, there are a few per show so they are hoping to score some autographs."

"Oh, I didn't even think about that! I should have brought something for people to sign. Oh, I hope they don't have anybody sign any body parts. Teddy would so do that," Arizona says, shaking her head.

"Let's hope you are wrong, otherwise we might all be escorted out," Callie says smiling, but the smile not really reaching her eyes.

"Are you sure you are ok? I know you said you were, but I saw you watching the tv with her on it. I understand if you have some unresolved feelings or something," Arizona says, looking down.

"Ok, I'm going to stop you right there," Callie says, reaching for Arizona's hands. "Don't ever insinuate that I have any feelings at all for that woman. The only 'feelings' I have for her, are ones of hate. I promise you that with everything inside me."

"Ok. You just seemed, I don't know, upset."

"Not because of that. I just don't like being here."

About that time, the door opens, and Callie moves to stand in front of Arizona. It is just Teddy and Addie, so she relaxes for a brief second. It doesn't last long as Teddy moves past Arizona and says, "Hey, Arizona, can I ask you something really quick? Sorry Callie, it will only take a second," Teddy says, using her head to motion to Addie very subtly.

"Sure, no problem. I'll just catch up with Addie for a sec," Callie says, getting worried. As she gives Arizona a quick kiss, she walks over to Addie while Teddy pulls Arizona to the back of the room.

"What's up Teds?" Arizona asks, wondering what's so important she had to ask now.

"Oh, well nothing really. It's just, I was kind of wondering, do you think it would be stupid to ask Addie to be my girlfriend?"

"What? That's not stupid. I just assumed you kind of already were girlfriends."

"Well, we talked about not seeing other people, but is that the same thing? I didn't want to seem stupid..."

As they finish their conversation, Callie looks at Addie. "Ok, what is it?"

"You won't believe this. She said Cameron did give it to her. Apparently, Cameron wasn't smart enough to tell her to keep that info to herself. We need to call the cops."

"Oh my god. I don't believe this. And here I am, bringing Arizona right to her. If I tell Arizona what's going on, she will freak. I can't do that right now."

"Well, how about this. Let her go on the show. Nothing is going to happen if she is in front of the camera. While she is doing that, I will go ahead now and excuse myself and go get security. All studios have security. Then we will call the cops from there."

"I hate not telling her, but if we can take care of this before she finds out, that's better than worrying her," Callie says. "Then we can have security there waiting for when she is done with her interview."

"Ok. Let's do this... I'll go ahead and excuse myself. Get the ball rolling. You stay here and keep Teddy with you, that way you have back-up."

"Ok. Hurry. I don't want to waste any time," Callie says worriedly.

Addie nods and then heads out the door. Walking back over to Arizona and Teddy, she asks, "Everything ok over here?"

"Yeah. She just had a girlfriend question. Where did Addie go?" Arizona asks.

"Oh, she uh, she had to uh, go to the bathroom. She wasn't feeling good. And she didn't want to use the one in here and have Teddy hear. You know, she doesn't want to ruin the mood for them."

"Ok, that was TMI. You could have just said she had to use the restroom," Teddy says, raising her eyebrow and nodding, letting Callie know that she knew Addie didn't really need to use the restroom."

A few minutes later after some small chit chat, a knock is heard and the crewman that has shown them around all day, tells them that Arizona is needed on set.

Callie takes a deep breath and has second thoughts about not telling Arizona what's going on, but a shake of the head from Teddy let's her know she is doing the right thing. "Come on Teddy, you come with us," Callie says, as she and Arizona head for the door. Nodding, Teddy follows right behind them.

"Sure thing. I got your back," Teddy says, making sure Callie knows she is keeping an eye out.

They make it to the set and Robert is waiting on her in front of the camera as Cameron is walking to sit in a director chair off to the side of the set. "Good, looks like we get to avoid her for a few more minutes," Callie mumbles to Arizona.

"Ok, Callie, I need you and your friend to stay here," the crewman, Mike, says to Callie.

Callie grabs Arizona's hand and says, "Go get 'em. You'll be great."

Arizona nods, "Thank you. I love you."

"Love you too. I'll be right here."

Nodding, Arizona walks with Mike up to her seat she will be sitting in. Robert saw Callie walk up with Arizona, and waves as Arizona makes her way up to sit beside him.

"I kind of forgot that you know a lot of the people here," Teddy says, whispering to Callie.

"Not as many as you think. I didn't come in that often. I did when Cameron and I first met, but I cut that out as time went on."

Nodding, Teddy looks around for Addie as Callie keeps her eyes floating back and forth between Cameron and Arizona.

The director waits until Arizona is situated and then counts down from the commercial break. The interview goes well and just as the segment finishes up and Arizona stands to walk back to Callie, Addie shows up with security.

"Callie, the cops are on the way. Security went into Cameron's dressing room and found pictures of you and Arizona. She's either been to your house or had someone else taking the pictures and sending them to her."

"What the hell!" Callie yells, starting to head for Cameron. Addie thinks quick and pulls her back.

"Callie, stop. You can't go over there. Let the cops handle it. Just get Arizona," Addie says.

She nods and turns around to walk towards Arizona, as Arizona makes her way back to Callie. Just as Arizona reaches Callie, Cameron heads their way, but not before security catches up to her, and grabs her before she can touch either one.

"Let go of me!" Cameron yells. "I have a job to do! I'm just walking back to the set."

"Right. Not today you don't," the security men tell her. "You need to come with us," the tallest guard tells her.

"I don't have to go anywhere with you. Let me go..." Cameron continues to yell as a crowd begins to gather around.

By this time, Callie has pulled Arizona behind her and Teddy and Addie are standing right there beside them, watching the scene unfold. About thirty seconds later, uniformed cops show up and place handcuffs around Cameron's wrists, placing her under arrest.

"Callie, what's happening?" Arizona asks, starting to get upset.

"Come on, let's get you back to the dressing room away from everyone and I'll fill you in," Callie says, then instructing Teddy and Addie to go take care of security until she gets Arizona situated and filled in.

"Calliope, you need to tell me right now what's going on..." Arizona demands as they walk back into the dressing room.

Callie takes the time to fill her in on everything that has happened, much to Arizona's horror. "I can't believe she had pictures of us."

"Yeah, I haven't seen them, but that's what Addie said. So as soon as security saw them after hearing Addie's story, they called the cops."

"I just can't believe this. Why didn't you tell me you had received more hang up calls?"

"I really didn't think a whole lot about it at first. And then I didn't want to worry you over what could be nothing. Hang up calls by themselves aren't a big deal. It wasn't until I saw the hair pin and thought about the break in that it all kind of clicked."

"Ok. So, we don't know if she took them or had someone else take them. So, there could be someone else out there helping her," Arizona says, thinking everything through.

"Could be. But it could also have been just her. The break-in happened over a weekend so she wouldn't have been working and would have had the time. As soon as Teddy and Addie get back here, I'm going to go out and talk to them."

"I can't believe this, Calliope," Arizona says, shaking her head.

'I know. Me either. I knew she was crazy when she went into my office and then mailed the papers. I had no idea she was batshit crazy though. I'm so, so sorry Arizona. I was worried she would try to corner you and harass you. I didn't think she would possibly be this kind of crazy. I never would have let you come here with these babies if I thought you were in physical danger."

"I know that Calliope. And we don't know that she would have hurt me. I'm just so thankful you guys put all the pieces together when you did."

"Me too..."

Addie and Teddy knock on the door and come in. "Callie, they are asking for you. We'll get her ready to go and meet you in the front entryway. They said it would only take a few minutes.

Nodding, Callie tells them thank you, gives Arizona a kiss, and heads to meet the officers.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Arizona walks over to the couch after Callie leaves and pulls her shoes off. She reaches for her bag on the floor and puts her shoes in, pulling out the ones she wore in this morning. She sits them on the floor as Addie and Teddy watch, neither saying anything, giving her time to process the events.

She pulls out the more comfortable clothes she came in and walks into the restroom, still without saying anything.

"Teddy, do you think you should talk to her?"

"I will when she comes back out. She usually needs time to process stuff. So, I'm giving her a few minutes," Teddy says, shaking her head. "I just can't believe that woman."

"I have to say, I have known her for years Teddy, and I didn't see this coming. She was always so level-headed," Addie says.

"I have a hard time believing that."

"No, really. She honestly was always good to Callie. I would have kept Callie away from her if I had known she was like Jekyll and Hyde."

"I imagine as upset as Arizona is going to be, Callie will be more so, because she is going to blame herself," Teddy says, just thinking out loud.

"Tell me about it. She is going to think this is all her fault," Addie says, as Arizona comes out of the restroom.

"You know, I can hear everything you say. Those walls are thin," Arizona says, looking between the two, as she sits down and picks up her shoes to put them on. "Oh my gosh, this bending over stuff is already for the birds, and I'm not that big yet," Arizona huffs, as she shoves her foot into the shoes.

"Well, a lot has changed just in two weeks," Teddy says, getting a pinch on her arm by Addie, who is sitting next to her. "Ouch," Teddy mumbles. "I mean, I'm just saying, I think yes, you have gotten bigger, but that's to be expected. Just means those babies are growing as they should. They are healthy."

"Nice save," Arizona says, shaking her head at her two companions for the time being. "Alright, let's go. I am more than ready to get out of here." Arizona puts her clothes in the bag and stands, reaching for her purse as Addie tells her that she will carry it for her.

"Let's go find Callie," Addie says, making a face. "Hopefully they have the wicked witch out of here by now."

The trio makes their way to the entrance to find Callie speaking with the studio security. She motions that she will just be a minute so the three of them stay put and give Callie a little more time. "I wish she would hurry. I'm glad Cruella is gone though," Arizona says. "I am starving. Do you think we can go eat after we leave?"

"We will do whatever the hell you want," Teddy says, nodding while looking at Addie to confirm.

"Yep. I know just the place, unless there are foods you have aversions too?"

"Nope. None, and that's not always a good thing. What do you have in mind?"

"It's a small family owned Italian place called Ravicci's. They serve everything family style. It's absolutely delicious and they have garlic knots that are to die for."

"Sounds amazing," Arizona says, half moaning at the thought.

"Whoah... why are you moaning? Shouldn't that just involve you and I?" Callie says, walking up behind Arizona, pulling her against her.

"Normally, but there is food talk involved in this conversation. So, what did you find out? What's going on?" Arizona turns around to be able to read Callie's face better.

"Um, like Addie said, they went into her dressing room and found pictures of us. The police tried to question her but didn't get much out of her, other than, and I quote, 'Hey, those are my pictures.' So, they are obviously taking her to the station. Said they were going to look into whether she has actually been down home or if someone sent the pictures. Said they would be checking airlines and busses, phone records... those sorts of things. The officers said they would give us a call when they know more. Security from the studio was going to cooperate and go through her dressing room one more time. But, for now, the officers said they had enough to keep her for at least overnight until they do some digging to see what else they can come up with. If they can link her being there at the time of the break in, they can officially arrest her after that."

"Hopefully, they can connect her to being there. I just can't believe this. But, I have to ask, can we please go have lunch? I am starving."

The ladies laugh but then oblige her, as they head out for lunch. A few hours later, after a delicious lunch, they are walking into the offices as Bellas. They make their rounds so that Callie can catch up with some employees before meeting Addie and Teddy back in Addie's office.

"So, we have a flight to catch so we better be going. Teddy, are you sure you want to stay? We can probably still get you a ticket," Arizona says, laughing.

"Well, as much as I will miss you, I think I am going to stay until Sunday and then head back then," Teddy says, reaching over to grab Addie's hand.

"Ok then, I guess..." Callie is interrupted by her phone ringing. "Let me get this..." She excuses herself and heads out into the hall, so as not to upset Arizona any more than necessary.

When she comes back into the office, she says, "You won't believe this, but they not only found plane tickets purchased for the weekend of the break-in, they also found calls to one particular Bellas Historias employee at the offices back home."

"Who?" They all ask at the same time.

"Erica Hahn," Callie says, shaking her head. "I trusted her."

"Now, wait a minute though. Do you know if Erica is really involved?" Addie asks.

"It's too much of a coincidence, don't you think?" Callie asks. "They are sending someone to question her as we speak."

"Oh my gosh... Tim. I need to call him."

"No. I mentioned your brother was dating her. The officer said not to call him because that might alert her to the fact they are coming to question her."

"I hate not telling him though," Arizona says, obviously worried.

"I know. They said it was best right now though," Callie says grabbing a hold of Arizona's hand and pulling her closer. "Let's get going, ok. Maybe be there for Tim if this gets sticky."

"Ok... yeah, that is probably for the best."

"You two call us if you need anything at all," Addie says, walking over to give them hugs.

"We will. Thank you for everything today. I don't know what we would do without you two," Callie says, giving Teddy a hug too.

"We are always here for each other, that is how this will always, always, work," Teddy says, also giving Arizona a hug.

Later that evening, the women are not far from Tim's when he gives them a call. He doesn't volunteer any info about what he wants before they get there, other than the fact that they need to talk. Arizona assures him they are on the way and will be there shortly.

Pulling into Tims, they see Erica's car there and Arizona immediately tenses up, as Callie's phone rings. "Answer that before we go in. It might be the police."

Callie takes the call and doesn't say much, other than some occasional 'ok's'. "What did they say?"

"Well, it seems that Erica thought she had been talking to someone named Megan, that she met online. She told the cops that she met her online right before she moved here. Said Megan is the one who actually told her about the job opening. Said they met on some book club site where they discuss books and became friends through that. I guess Megan... or Cameron... would ask about who she worked with, and knowing what we know now, she already knew. The police already checked out the online book club and confirmed everything through past messages. She met an unknowing person and took advantage."

"So, Erica is clear?"

"It appears so. And, from where they found that Cameron flew down here the weekend of the break-in, they are going to formally charge her. So... that is good news. But, I would say your brother is probably a little confused as is Erica. So that's probably why they want us to stop by and explain everything."

"I can't believe this, Arizona says, shaking her head. They are going to be so upset. And here I was thinking about how we didn't think she was really showing and I started thinking on the way home that she was just faking it and... I just can't believe this."

"Arizona, I had the same thoughts too. And considering everything we just found out today, Cameron having some help spying made a lot of sense at the time. Come on... let's get this over with."

Tim opens the door and lets the women in, leading them in to the living room where Erica is waiting.

"Erica, I am so sorry you were drug into our mess today." Callie says, then proceeds to fill Erica and Tim in on everything that happened earlier. "I can't believe Cameron used you like that," Callie says, sincerely, hoping that Erica isn't too upset by the day's events.

"I can't say I'm surprised... I mean, looking back now, I can see how she pointed me here and some of the questions she asked... I mean, some of them were weird, but I just took it as her being nosy. I never thought something like this could happen."

"I know. I can't believe she would stoop to this level. We knew today in New York that she was crazy, but to go to lengths to push you here and unknowingly have you give her information is just, crazy."

"You sure know how to pick 'em Cal," Tim says, shaking his head.

"Tim," Arizona warns.

"What? I think I have a right to be a little upset right now."

"Not at Callie though, she didn't do this."

"It's her ex-fiancé isn't it? If she wouldn't have been with another woman, then..."

"That's enough, Tim..." Arizona stands, walking over to him.

"Arizona, it's fine. He's right," Callie says, wiping a tear, as she stands. "Once again, it's my fault that things went wrong. It seems I have a knack for hurting you and those around us. I guess some things never change," Callie shakes her head as she sniffles, once again wiping some tears that continue to fall.

"Calliope," Arizona says, making her way back to Callie. "This was not your fault," Arizona says, shaking her head.

"Listen to her Arizona. She took you straight to that woman today. Pregnant. Who would do that?"

"Tim, you need to stop, right now, before you say something that you can't take back. You are really starting to push it. And if you keep going, you are going to do some damage between you and I that you can't fix. So, you better think twice before you say anything else about my wife," Arizona says, glaring at her big brother, ready to defend her wife again if need be. She knows that Callie is feeling responsible and the last thing she needs, is her brother making everything worse.

"Tim, I would never, intentionally put Arizona in harms way. I never in a million years, thought Cameron would turn out to be the woman that she has. I love your sister more than anything, do you honestly think I would take her somewhere that I really thought she would be in physical danger?"

"Callie, whether I think you would or not... you did. That woman could have hurt her and those babies."

"You don't think I know that? You don't think I have regretted taking her to New York all day long? I love your sister, more than anything. I have made some terrible mistakes, that I regret and live with every day. But I would never, ever, take her somewhere that I thought she would physically get hurt."

"Calliope, you don't need to explain yourself, to Tim or anyone else. I am a big girl and I knew as much as you did before today, and I chose to go, even when you weren't crazy about it. And the truth is... yeah, she broke into the house, she stole your hair piece and gave it to the lady today to put it my hair, but we still don't know that she would have hurt me. She is definitely crazy, but we don't know that she would have gotten physical. So, Tim, you need to stop harassing Calliope and Calliope, you need to stop apologizing and trying to explain something that you don't need to explain."

"Look," Tim says, holding his hand up. "I'm sorry. You're right. I just... you're my little sister. And I hate the thought of some crazy chick hurting you."

"But she didn't. OK? I am perfectly fine. But I am sorry that you and Erica were drug into this. Like Calliope said, we are so sorry Erica, that you were drug into this. I hate that you had the stress of this put on you, especially with the baby." Arizona, says, reaching for Callie's hand, as she has remained silent for the past few minutes.

"It's ok. It's obviously not something you guys had control over. You can't control crazy, right?" Erica says, trying to lighten the mood.

"Erica, I hope that you aren't thinking of quitting. I really need you still, at the office," Callie finally says.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm growing kind of fond of it here," she says, reaching for Tim's hand.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I talked her in to making us official. She is officially my girlfriend," Tim says, proudly. "And, I get to accompany her to her doctor's appointment tomorrow, to hear this little one's heartbeat," he says smiling.

"That's awesome," Callie says, smiling.

"Yeah, that's great. We are very happy for you two," Says Arizona.

"I have to say, I'm glad he is coming with me. I haven't gained weight like I thought I would, and I'm a little nervous," Erica admits.

"Well, everyone is different. I didn't gain as much weight with Zac as I have with these two already," Arizona laughs. "I'm sure everything is fine."

"Calliope, why don't we get out of here. I'm sure we have a son that is driving his grandparents up a wall by now."

"Yeah, I'm sure he is," Callie agrees.

"Wait..." Tim says, walking over to Callie. "Look, I'm really sorry. I totally overreacted, and I shouldn't have said anything. I was out of line. I know that you would never do anything to hurt her."

"It's no big deal," Callie says, shaking her head. "I'm glad you are always looking out for her."

"Yeah, but I was an ass. And I really am sorry," Tim says, with a sad smile.

"Don't worry about it," Callie says. "You ready to go?" She asks Arizona.

"Yep. Let's get him before they sit him out on the front porch with his suitcase," Arizona laughs.

Later that night, after picking Zac up and having dinner, they are finally settled in bed for the night.

"Calliope..." Arizona says, rolling on her side to face her wife.

"Yeah?" Callie says, putting her book down and also rolling onto her side.

"Today was a crazy day. But please, please, don't blame yourself. I'm fine, we are all fine, and everything is going to be ok. So, please, let today go."

"Arizona, I just feel like every time things start going well, something comes along to remind me of what a screw up I was. It's like, there's no way for me to get away from my past. Something always comes up to remind me of how much I messed up. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you or those babies," Callie says, breaking down into tears.

And here it is. The break down that Arizona has waited on all day. She knew Callie had been holding everything in, especially after Tim pretty much threw salt into the wounds earlier. He may have apologized, but the damage had already been done.

"Calliope, I understand that you feel that way. I will tell you, that this will pass though. It won't always be like this. I don't think it's nature's way of reminding you. I think it is just a little bad luck that is ending now. They are charging her. Not only of breaking and entering, but theft, and stalking. She can't bother us now. And, you can't help what she did. This is all on her, not you. You need to realize that," Arizona says, reaching over to wipe away the tears that are falling by dozen. "I love you Calliope. This doesn't change anything. Not at all."

"I just feel like I really messed up today. I mean, Tim was right. I took you right to her."

"You need to stop. We made a decision... WE... based on the information we had. And we had no reason to believe she was that far gone. We made that decision, not you. We. So, you need to quit beating yourself up over it."

"I just feel like I am letting you down. I shouldn't have let you go today."

"Ok. I'm going to stop you right there. If you wouldn't have "let" me go, we would have had bigger issues. Like I said, it was as much my decision, if not more so. I love you Calliope, and I know that you love me. So, please, let's just put today behind us, and focus on our children. Ok?"

"Ok. I love you, more than anything."

"I love you too. Now, hold me. I am exhausted," Arizona says, rolling over so that Callie can be the big spoon.

"There's nothing I would rather do," Callie says, pulling Arizona close.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

"Here, let me help you..." Callie says, as she reaches for Arizona's hand to help her out of the car. They just arrived at April's for what is supposed to be a surprise shower. Callie knows about it, but Arizona's been kept in the dark. Arizona has been so exhausted lately, they had no choice but to tell Callie, otherwise, there was a good chance the duo would not have made it for the shower.

"I don't understand why we had to have a date night out. We could have stayed home and had a perfectly awesome date night," Arizona huffs, not sure why Callie thought coming to April's was more romantic.

"If we had stayed home for date night, you would already be asleep. I love you, and I know you are exhausted all the time right now, but I really wanted to keep you awake long enough to carry on an adult conversation."

The farther along Arizona has gotten, the harder the pregnancy has been. She finished up her last day of work yesterday, and is taking the next several weeks off before the babies are due. Tired and emotional are the perfect two words to describe Arizona Torres right now.

"I'm sorry, Calliope. I feel like a terrible wife right now," Arizona stops, pulling Callie back towards her.

"Arizona, honey, stop. I'm not complaining. You are housing two tiny little babies. You are going to be exhausted. It wouldn't be normal if you weren't tired all the time. I remember what it was like, you know. I know I wasn't as far along as you are now, but it is draining."

"I'm sorry, I know. I just feel like I'm letting you down."

"Are you kidding me? Honey, you are doing the total opposite. you are making every dream I have come true right now. Do you know realize that? You. Are. Amazing. Every part of you. Even the exhausted part of you. Making perfect little babies is pretty draining on a body," Callie smiles, pulling Arizona in for a kiss. Now, let's go get some food in you, ok?"

"Ok," Arizona says, pulling Callie in for one more kiss."

As they make their way in the door, they are greeted by pink and blue balloons, with lots of "surprise" yells heard, along with smiling faces of their family and close friends.

"Oh my gosh! You knew about this and didn't tell me?" Arizona turned to face Callie.

"Well, I might have been told to make sure we actually made it. Everyone was afraid we might not have made it if I wouldn't have known. I would have given in to the date night at home," Callie says, winking.

"I can't believe you guys," Arizona says, facing Teddy, Addie and the rest of the group, looking around at how April's is decorated. Balloons, baby signs, cake and refreshments, and a table piled with gifts. And waiting for them, holding two balloons, is Zac, standing between both sets of parents.

"Zac!" Arizona says, reaching down to put her arm around her son. She can't lift him anymore and he is learning how to settle for hugs around her knees right now.

"Mommy, we get to open presents!"

"I know! Are you going to help Momma and I?" Arizona asks.

"Yes! Can we open them now?"

"Well," Callie reaches down to pick him up, "we probably should wait until we eat first."

"Ok," he says, looking sad. "But let's hurry!"

Everyone laughs as they begin to mingle and begin to nibble on the food.

"Arizona, how many weeks along are you?" Meredith asks, as she walks over to stand next to her and Callie.

"Thirty-four. Not that I'm counting or anything," Arizona says, as they start to laugh.

"I think she has it down to the hours, to be honest," Callie pipes in.

"Yeah, we wanted to have this shindig before now, but we had a hard time nailing down a time where everyone could be here. So, we are really pushing it to get this in before she pops them little humans out," Teddy says, as she joins the group.

"You know, to be honest, I was wondering if you guys were going to give us one," Arizona says.

"Seriously? You think I would pass up a reason to have to come down here?" Addie says.

"Really, Teddy? You have to have a reason to come now? Thanks a lot..." Teddy pouts.

"Shut up. You know you are all the reason I need," Addie says, pulling Teddy in for a kiss. "But, having another reason makes me not look as needy," she says, smiling, causing everyone else to laugh.

"So, Arizona, what's up with Tim and Erica? When is he officially going to be that baby's daddy?"

Looking over to see Tim, Erica, and little Kylee, Arizona smiles. "Well, he proposed last week right before she had the baby. And she said yes."

"Really? You didn't tell me that!" Teddy says.

"I forgot. Pregnancy brain and all."

"Wow. I can't believe it. And here, you thought she was faking it when it took her forever to start showing," Teddy snickered.

"Shut up, Teddy! Don't let Tim here you say that," Arizona says, looking over her shoulder to make sure nobody else heard.

"Well, it is kind of funny," Callie agrees. "But as far as the baby goes, the dad kept calling throughout the pregnancy wanting her to come back to him, but she stood her ground. He wanted her but not the baby. He kept telling her they could give it up for adoption. He always called right in the middle of the day. It was weird. So, I heard way too many of the conversations."

"What a jerk," Addie says, shaking her head. "But, it looks like they will make a cute little family."

"Since he had already proposed, when she filled out the info for the birth certificate, even though he isn't technically the baby's biological father, she listed Tim as the father. So, little Kylee is officially a Robbins," Arizona says.

"Yeah, Erica told him she didn't want to have to go through everything we did for me to adopt Zac. So, she just listed him in the first place making it easier. The bio dad didn't want anything to do with her anyway, so... that's that," Callie added.

"Aren't they afraid the bio dad will try to claim her later?" Addie asks, curious.

"It's always a possibility. But, at this point, he would have to go to court, get a paternity test to prove it, and have to jump through a bunch of hoops. They aren't too worried about it. Not saying I agree with how they went about it, because it could get messy one day if bio dad has a change of heart. I think they hope by that point, if it happens, it will be more work than what he wants to prove otherwise," Arizona says.

"Well, whatever works for them, I guess. You know," Teddy says, changing the subject from her ex-lover, "I think it is time to open some presents. "What do you think?"

"Oh, I love presents," Arizona says, gigging.

As the two women and Zac open the presents, Zac even finds a few for him only, mixed in with the baby gifts.

The girls' parents went together and already purchased the bedroom furniture for the girls, which is already set up at the house. Among the presents they opened, were bedding, a double stroller from Tim and Erica, car seats from Addie and Teddy, and lots of outfits, blankets, and other items from the rest of the gang.

"Calliope, I can't believe we all this stuff! Where are we going to put it all?" Arizona giggles as she holds up some outfits.

Laughing, Callie shrugs. "I don't know. We are going to need a few people to help take all this stuff back to the house. But, before we go..." Callie picks up a glass and uses a spoon to clank against it, getting everyone's attention. Once she has everyone's attention, she clears her voice.

"So, I have a present for my wife. It isn't from me. It's something she has worked very hard for. I just happen to be the lucky one to be able to give this to her," Callie smiles as she reaches for a gift that Addie is handing her. She takes the package in her hands, as she smiles, and holds it up for Arizona to take it.

"Arizona, go ahead and open it," she says, as Arizona takes the package and inspects it. Arizona smiles as she unwraps it and pulls the lid off the box. As she opens it to see its contents, she gasps.

"Calliope..." Arizona is stunned. Her right hand goes to cover her mouth as she looks from the box to Callie, to Addie and Teddy, back to Callie.

"I would like to announce that when tomorrow's New York Times top 10 list comes out, Arizona Torres will be in the number one spot!" Callie informs every one of the good news, as Arizona receives cheers and shouts of congratulations in response. "Arizona, I am so proud of you. You are not only an amazing mom to Zac, but you are going to be an amazing mom to these two babies as well. But on top of all that, you are also an amazing wife and friend, but also an incredible author. Everyone here is so proud of you."

Arizona sits the box down and rushes to hug Callie. "I can't believe this," Arizona says, with tears running down her face. "I just... I did it. We did it!"

"No, you did it. This is all you, sweetheart," Callie says, pulling her in for a kiss.

"But you helped get me there. I just, thanks you."

"I didn't do anything. This is all you. You are making all of us at Bellas look really good though," Callie laughs, and Addie is right there to second that.

After a while longer and many more congratulations, the gang helps Callie and Arizona get things packed up and back to the house. When everything is at least carried upstairs, Teddy and Addie sit down in the living room with Callie and Teddy. It's cold outside, so Callie decides to light a fire.

As they all sit around the fire, laughing and talking, Teddy looks at Addie and smiles. "So, Addie, I know this probably isn't what you had in mind, ever, for something like this, especially with an audience, but I can't wait. After watching everything these two have went through, and then watching them today and how much happiness they have, I decided that... that I want that to. And I know that I am doing this all wrong, and I haven't even went shopping, but..."

Addie gasps as Teddy stands up from the couch and gets down on one knee in front of her, and grabs her hand, looking over at Callie and Arizona before looking back at Teddy.

Teddy, holding Addie's hand, says, "Addison Forbes Montgomery, I know that we have known each other for less than a year, but I love you. You have shown me what it is like to love and be loved, unconditionally. I want everything with you. Everything. I want to share everything life has to offer. All the ups and downs, successes and trials, burdens, just... everything. I want to show you, that we can get through anything as long as we are together. And I know, we don't exactly live in the same place yet, but I know we can figure something out. So, Addison, will you marry me?"

Callie reaches over and squeezes Arizona's hand as they watch the unexpected events unfold, right in front of them, giving each other a knowing smile though. They knew this would happen eventually, but they are glad they are able to witness it.

"Teddy, I..." Addie says, shaking her head.

"Oh... I... I'm sorry," Teddy says, with tears starting to fall down her face. "I shouldn't have done this now. I am rushing things..." Teddy says, starting to stand up, and ready to let go of Addie's hand, when Addie pulls her back down and covers her lips with her own.

"Shut up so I can say yes," Addie says, laughing, as she pulls away from the kiss.

"What?" Teddy asks, "Are you saying yes?"

"Yes, of course I'm saying yes!" Addie says, pulling her in for another kiss.

"I told you they would get married before too much longer," Arizona whispers over to Callie.

"I know. And I didn't argue," Callie says, laughing.

"Well," Teddy says, pulling Addie up to stand with her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do this on your shower day. It's just, I was so happy seeing you guys happy today. And I decided I couldn't wait. We sat here, and I just... I couldn't wait."

"Theodora..." Arizona says, motioning for Callie to help her stand up. "We wouldn't have had this any other way!" She walks over to Teddy and pulls her in for a hug, as Callie does the same for Addie.

"You know, you may as well move here Addie," Callie says, after giving her a hug. "I mean, Zac's birthday is in two weeks. You are just going to have to keep coming back for stuff. Because then the babies will be here a few weeks after that. And we need both of our godmothers here for the babies..." Callie smiles as what she says sinks in for the two. "And if you are both in New York, what do we do with no godparents close?"

"We are the godmothers? Both of us?" Teddy asks.

"Of course. We can't just pick one..." Arizona giggles. "And you know, that's only if you are both ok with that..."

"Yes!" Teddy and Addie both say at the same time.

"Well, then we for sure hope that you decide to live here," Callie says, pulling Arizona closer to her.

"Well, we have some things to discuss, but... I'd say that's a very good possibility," Addie says, smiling. "But... before there is any talking, there is a lot of engagement sex happening tonight," Addie says, pulling Teddy past Arizona and Callie, and heading towards the door.

Callie and Arizona burst out laughing at the couple that just flew past them, giving a wave and "see ya tomorrow" before rushing out the door.

"Oh my... it's a good thing Teddy doesn't have neighbors too close. Those people wouldn't get any sleep tonight," Arizona says, laughing.

"Oh, I hear ya. And I'm glad we won't be hearing them," Callie says, pulling Arizona up to their room.

"Where are we going?" Arizona asks.

"Well, we are going to check to make sure our son is sound asleep, then we are going to make a little noise of our own. I have always wondered what it would be like to sleep with the chick at the top of the New York Times best seller's list," Callie says, smirking as she reaches the top of the steps.

"Oh really..." Arizona says, as she opens Zac's door quietly, then quietly shuts it after seeing him sound asleep.

"And how many times have you wondered that when you saw who was in the number one spot?"

"Well, maybe just once. That was right after I saw your name there, earlier today. It was so hard not to tell you. But I thought it would be a great surprise in front of our friends and family. Your parents and Tim were so proud."

"Yeah. But... enough of that. Let's get to that sleeping with the chick at the top of the charts... and by sleeping, I don't mean sleep..." Arizona says, pulling her shirt up over her head.

"Oh, that will be my pleasure," Callie says, raising her eyebrow and giving Arizona a smirk, pulling her shirt off as well. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on..." Callie says, walking Arizona back to the bed, carefully helping her to lay down.

"I could say the same thing about you," Arizona says, pulling Callie to lay down beside her and pulling her in for a kiss.

"You know," Callie starts laughing. "I think I just got kicked. Wow, if I can feel that just lying next to you, you have to feel like your insides are a boxing ring."

"Sometimes..." Arizona says, laughing.

"Well, you just lay there... I will do all the work," Callie says, smirking.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Arizona is sitting on the couch with Zac when the phone rings. She picks it up and listens for a few minutes, answering a few questions here and there, but mostly listening.

After the call, which was informing her of Cameron's sentence, she texts Callie to let her know the contents of the call. Cameron will spend the next five years behind bars. They knew because of the crime, it probably wouldn't be longer than that, so overall, she is happy with the outcome.

While texting Callie, there is a knock on the door. Even though she is home, she isn't getting around too well, so Callie insisted that Grace still come to watch Zac and help out. Grace leaves the living room to go and answer the door. There hasn't been much house work to catch up on and Zac has wanted to stay close to Arizona, so Grace and Zac were playing with puzzles when the knock came.

A few seconds later, Teddy comes walking in, carrying a few videos for Zac and a large pizza. "So, I thought we could maybe have some lunch and watch some Disney movies. What do you think?" Teddy asks, looking to Arizona and Zac.

"The movies sound good, but I think I'll pass on the pizza," Arizona says, as Zac runs to the kitchen and comes back with his cup from the fridge.

"What's wrong? Why don't you want pizza? That's all you have wanted lately."

"Nothing is wrong. I'm just not hungry. But the Disney movies sound good," Arizona nods, as Teddy heads to the kitchen to get plates. When she comes back, she puts a slice on a plate for her, Grace and Zac, and then they all get cozy as Teddy lets Zac pick which one he wants to watch first.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Teddy looks back over to Arizona and asks as she sees Arizona close her eyes.

"Yeah," Arizona says, keeping her eyes closed. I might just take a little nap. I didn't sleep well last night. It's impossible to get comfortable," she says, pulling the blanket up a little farther.

Teddy doesn't say anything, but texts Callie to let her know Arizona is a little more tired than she has been lately. Callie responds and tells her to let her know if they need anything and she will try to get out of the office early today.

After the first movie is finished, Grace offers to take Zac outside to run some energy off, as he started to get restless towards the end of the movie. Teddy agrees that would probably be a good idea and helps her to get his shoes on.

While they are outside, Teddy decides to let Arizona continue to nap and cleans up from lunch. She loads the dishwasher and picks her phone up to text Addie. Addie has another week left of work in New York and then she will be joining Addie and working at the office here with Callie. After their engagement, they figured out very quickly they didn't want to spend any more time apart.

While walking back into the living room, she hears her name being yelled. "Teddy!" She quickens her pace to see Arizona trying to sit up, with tears in her eyes.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Teddy asks, trying to help her up.

"It hurts, so bad. Will you call Callie?"

"Oh my gosh... Is it time?" Teddy asks, pulling her phone back out of her pocket and dialing Callie's number.

When Callie answers, Tedd says, "Hey, I don't want to worry you, but I think we need to head to the hospital. She took a nap and when she woke up, she is in a lot of pain. What? I don't know... let me ask." She looks to Arizona... "Is the pain from contractions?"

"I think... OH... Sweet mother of..." Arizona yells out.

"Callie, I think that's what it going on. I will grab her stuff, make sure Grace can keep Zac, and then we will meet you there. Yeah... I'll tell her for you." She hangs up and tell Arizona that Callie loves her and will meet them at the hospital.

"Oh my gosh... Teddy. We need to hurry..." Arizona yells.

Thirty-seven weeks. That's how far along Arizona is today. They were hoping to make it one more week and even had a day scheduled to induce labor. She just had an appointment yesterday and everything seemed to be saying they had a little more time. The babies have a different opinion though.

After getting Grace to stay longer with Zac until someone could come back and get him, Teddy makes sure they have everything and gets Arizona in the car and to the hospital

"Teddy... you need to hurry!"

"You need to hold your horses, because we have about ten minutes before we get there. I can't believe you couldn't wait another hour before Callie got home. This is so her job. I get extra best friend points for this, just so you know."

"Or I could find a new best friend!" Arizona yells, as another contraction hits.

"Hm. I think that's about five minutes apart. When these babies set their mind to something, they really get determined," Teddy says, laughing. "Almost there honey," Teddy says, as she reaches for Arizona's hand to offer a little comfort.

When they pull into the hospital, Callie is already there waiting at the entrance with a wheel chair.

"Arizona... I'm so sorry I wasn't there with you. Are you ok?" Poor Callie. She asks that just as another contraction hits and well, just, poor Callie.

"Nooooo! Do I look OK?" Arizona grunts.

"I'm sorry. Let's get you up there." Callie decides a little less talking isn't a bad thing as she hurries to push Arizona up to the labor and delivery floor. The nurses hurry and get Arizona settled and consult with the doctor on how to proceed from here.

After being checked, it is decided that they only have a small window to get the epidural done in time, so a lot of rushing around commences. The epidural is administered in just the nick of time because baby A decides it is ready to make an appearance.

While all the hustling around was going on, Teddy made calls to the family and they get there at just the right time, as the nurse comes out and tells them it's almost time. They all huddle in the waiting room as Arizona and Callie wanted to be the only ones in the delivery room.

"Come on honey, you can do this. This is what we have waited on. I am so proud of you..." Callie says, wiping Arizona's face with a wet wash cloth. The epidural is working well now and Arizona is just feeling pressure. Callie gets up to go wet the wash cloth again when Arizona grabs her hand."

"Where are you going? Don't leave me..." Arizona says, worried Callie was going somewhere."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm just wetting the wash cloth. It's getting warm." Arizona nods, but grabs ahold of Callie's hand when she comes back and looks at her, with tears falling down her face. "Honey, what's wrong? I'm not going anywhere. You couldn't pry me away from here, sweetheart," Callie assures her. The nurses told Callie to expect her to get emotional, and they were not wrong.

The doctor comes in right as the nurse tells Arizona that it's time to push. "Alright, it looks like this little girl is ready to come out," she says as she looks at the ultrasound picture the nurse had up on the screen, waiting for her.

"Calliope... we are going to meet them. It's really time."

"I know. I can't believe it. I love you so much..."

"Well ladies, It's time. Here comes another contraction. When I say go, I want you to push and keep pushing, while I count to ten. Ok?"

Arizona nods and follows the doctor's orders. They continue like this for about ten minutes. It's on the next push that they hear a sweet cry.

"Ladies..." the doctor says, as she holds up a tiny little girl. "Meet your beautiful daughter..."

Arizona and Callie, both, try to control the sobs but are unable to do so. "Mom, do you want to come cut the cord?" Callie seems surprised by the question but a prodding from Arizona puts her into action as she finally nods yes. She makes her way to the doctor and takes the instrument from the nurse as she makes the cut.

"Arizona... she is so beautiful," Callie says, wiping tears and looking back to Arizona. The nurse takes her and wraps her up, handing her to Arizona while the doctor gets things ready for baby B.

"Calliope... look at her. She looks just like you," Arizona says, through cries.

"Arizona, she is beautiful. I love you so much," Callie says, leaning down to give the baby a kiss and then giving Arizona one.

"Ladies, I hate to do this, but we really need to borrow her to get her weighed. And, it looks like you may be ready to meet your son here in a minute," she says, as the ladies give their little girl one more kiss before she is taken to be cleaned up and taken care of.

"Calliope, I can't do this again..." Arizona sobs, as she realizes she really does still have one more to go. "Can we do this in a little bit? I need a break," Arizona says, with big tears slipping down her face.

"Oh, honey, you can't take a break now. You are doing so good though. I'm so, so proud of you. We are halfway there... you can do this. You are so strong," Callie says, wiping Arizona's forehead off with the wet wash cloth.

"Ok, Arizona. Same as before. When I tell you to push, we go for ten seconds..."

A few hours later, Arizona is holding their little girl as Callie is sitting beside her holding their little boy. "Arizona, the more I look at him, I swear, he looks like Zac. And it's so weird because Zac looks like a mini you..., but I think he has Zac's nose and lips."

"I think you are crazy. He looks like his momma and his sister," Arizona says, smiling. I can sorta see what you mean, but I think he looks like his momma. But, speaking of Zac, where is he? Someone should have been back with him by now."

"I would say they had to feed him first. It's a habit for him to say he is hungry as soon as he is with the grandparents or Tim. He figured out how to get a happy meal toy out of them and takes advantage every chance he gets."

About that time, in walks Tim with little Zac. Zac's eyes get really big when he looks over and sees both of his moms holding a little baby.

"Zac, come here buddy," Arizona says, as Callie reaches down with her extra hand and helps him up onto the bed with them. "Hey, buddy... how's my little man?"

"I'm a big brother! Can I see?"

"You sure can," Callie says, holding the little baby boy where Zac can get a better look. "Zac, meet your baby brother, Ian."

"Hi, Ian..." Zac says, reaching down to touch the little baby's cheek.

"And this," Arizona says, turning the baby girl around so he can see her too, "is your little sister, Isla."

"Hi, Isla..." Zac says, reaching over to hold her little finger. "I like them," that says, matter of factly, causing the women and Tim to laugh.

"We are so glad you like them," Arizona says, looking at her children. "Do you want to hold them?"

"Can I?" Zac asks, excitedly. Callie nods as she looks to Tim for help. He comes over and picks Zac up and gets him situated in the chair beside the bed, with pillows on either side of his arms for support. Callie gets up and places Ian on one side, with Tim right there to help, then goes to pick up Isla from Arizona and places her in Zac's other arm.

Knowing they wanted pictures, Callie had Arizona's camera packed, so while Tim sits by Zac and the babies, she collects the camera from the bag. Tim gets Zac's attention so they can take a few pictures and then a few candid shots of Zac looking at the babies. The grin on his face is more than the mothers could have hoped for. They were somewhat afraid of how he would take to two babies, but he seems to be loving every minute of it.

"Ladies, you outdid yourselves," Tim says, smiling. "You have overcome so many odds to get here. I'm very happy for you," he says as he stands to give Callie a hug and then heads to give Arizona one as well. After the Cameron incident, it took a little while for Callie and Tim to get back to their usual banter, but they finally seem to have gotten past everything.

"Thank you Tim," Callie says, putting the camera on the small counter in the room.

About the time Callie puts the camera up, the grandparents all walk in just in time to see Zac holding the babies. With lots of oohs and ahhhs, they let Zac fill them in on the babies' names. They had decided to keep the names a secret until today, and everyone couldn't have been happier with them.

"What about middle names?" Barbara asks.

"Well, this little one," Callie says, picking up Ian, is Ian Thomas Torres..."

"Just like the train," Zac giggles.

"Just like the train," Callie says smiling. Zac had kept asking if they could name him Thomas, and the more they joked about it, the more they liked the name. So, they decided to actually use it. She hands Ian to Barbara as she reaches back down for Isla.

"And this... is Isla Faith, she says, handing her to Lucy."

"Oh my... they are beautiful names for beautiful babies," Lucy says, as the grandpas anxiously await their turn to hold the little bundles of joy.

The grandparents and Tim take turns holding the babies while Arizona and Callie talk to Zac. They had him a big brother shirt made and Callie pulls it out to put on him. They still can't believe how well he is taking everything. After everyone has had a turn holding both the babies, they realize how late it is getting. Zac says his goodbye's and heads home with Lucy and Carlos for the night, with the promise that he will be able to come back first thing in the morning.

Knowing they are going to need their sleep when they go home, the reluctantly let the nurses take the babies to the nursery for the night, so they can get some sleep, after what turned out to be a long, but rewarding day.

"Thank you Arizona. For being you. For being a wonderful wife and mommy…. We are all so lucky to have you."

"Calliope, I could say the same thing about you. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world," Arizona says.

"Let's agree we are both blessed to have each other," Callie says, laying down beside Arizona. "Let's get some sleep. We aren't going to be getting much of it for the next year," Callie says, chuckling.

AN: There will only be about two chapters left. One regular chapter and an epilogue.


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

"Mommy! Momma! Ian smells really bad!"

"Well, sounds like we need to go change a diaper," Arizona laughs, as she watches her boys. Zac loves to hold the babies, so he is currently sitting in his bean bag chair that they just bought for him. He sinks down into the chair with lots of support on either side to make it perfect for him to hold the babies.

"You stay here with Isla, I'll get him," Callie says, laughing.

They have been home from the hospital for about two weeks now, and have worked out a fairly nice routine with the babies and Zac. The babies aren't doing too terrible at sleeping at night, so all in all, they find themselves pretty well rested, considering.

After changing Ian, Callie picks him up and heads to the couch. Zac watches and doesn't say anything, until Callie sits down, then he gets up and runs over to sit right beside them.

"Can I hold him again?" Zac asks, holding his hands out.

"I think we need a family cuddle. What do you say?"

Zac pretends to think for a minute before happily agreeing, resituating himself between Arizona and Callie. Right as they are all snuggled in together, the doorbell rings. "Oh my goodness. It's never-ending," Callie says, grumbling as she and Ian get up and head for the door as Arizona snickers. They have had so many visitors that they really haven't had a lot of time with just them and the kids.

When she opens the door, Teddy and Addie are standing there with more gift bags in hand. "Hey, what are you guys doing here? With more gifts..." Callie says, trying to fake enthusiasm.

"Oh, we hadn't seen those sweet little faces in twenty-four hours, so we thought we would pop by. We can't stay long though."

"Oh, darn," Callie says, internally jumping for joy that this would be a short visit.

Two hours later, Callie is watching Teddy and Addie still holding their little bundles of joy, wondering if this is a short visit, just how long a long visit would have been.

"You know, Addie, I love that you are living here now," Callie says, trying to maintain positivity when all she wants is some quiet time with her family.

"Oh, I am loving it. Less traffic, you get where you want to go in no time, I get to see you guys whenever I want... I love it!" Addie gushes.

"Yeah. love it," Callie smiles and looking over at Arizona, who is starting to pick up on her less than enthusiastic wife.

"You know, we didn't get much sleep last night at all," Arizona says, throwing in a yawn.

Callie looks at her weird, because they had just been talking about how well they did sleep last night, not long before Teddy and Addie showed up. Arizona looks at her, and just yawns again, throwing in a little head tilt when she notices that Addie and Teddy aren't paying attention.

Finally picking up on what Arizona is doing, Callie does the same thing. "Oh, I know. I am exhausted. I don't know what we expected though, with two of them. I'm surprised we aren't like walking zombies," Callie yawns.

Only half listening, but picking up that the women are ready for bed, Addie looks up. "Well, we need to probably get going anyway. We are supposed to go to April's for some drinks. We are meeting a few people from work there." Addie looks over to Teddy and receives a nod. "Before we go though, we do have a question."

"What's that?" Arizona asks.

"Well, after looking at your first wedding pictures by the lake, we think that would be the perfect place to get married. So, what do you think about letting us get married here? I mean, you don't have to do a thing. We would have everything brought in. A few tents, catering, the whole bit... We just need the location," Addie says.

Arizona looks at Callie and they both smile when Arizona says, "I think that sounds like a great idea."

"Really?" Teddy asks, looking hopeful.

"Of course! We would love to have you guys get married here!" Callie smiles, getting up and reaching for Isla. "Wouldn't we sweetie? We would love to see auntie Teddy and auntie Addie get married here." Callie says, talking in baby talk to the baby, who is now wide awake.

"Oh, thank you!" Addie says, "We can't wait. So, we were actually thinking about something next month. The temperatures will be perfect for an outdoor wedding. Warm, but not too warm like if we were to wait two months instead."

"Wow. That's quick. But, it's all yours," Arizona says. "Looks like we have two weddings next month. Erica and Tim are getting married too. Sounds like we need to go shopping now, for sure," Arizona smiles, looking at Callie.

Standing up, Arizona is handed Ian and the foursome exchange a few ideas as Addy and Teddy make their way for the door.

"Thank you. So much. If it weren't for you guys, we would never have found each other," Teddy says, reaching for Addie's hand.

"Yeah, I had no idea what I was missing," Addie says.

"Well, I think we can say that it worked out for all of us," Callie says, as Zac comes crashing into her legs. "Whoah, careful bud," she says, reaching down and fluffing his hair.

"Bye aunt Teddy and aunt Addie," Zac says, letting go of Callie's legs and holding his arms up to reach around both of his aunts.

"Oh my gosh. We really need some of these," Addie says, looking over at Teddy and smiling.

"I would agree," Teddy says, picking Zac up and giving him a kiss. "We'll see you later little man." Putting him down, they all say their goodbyes and Addie and Teddy leave.

"I think we need a garage," Callie says, as she leads the small family back to the living room.

"Why?" Arizona asks, thinking it's a strange statement.

"Because, then we would be able to park the cars in there. Then they wouldn't know we are home. Any of them. It seems like we can't get rid of people. And I know... I know they are all trying to help and be supportive, but I just want a few uninterrupted hours with our family. Just us. I want to lay around in our jammies all day, all five of us," Callie says, smiling. "I love that there are five of us, but there is always at least seven people here. And I love them all. All of them. But I want one day, where we are the only ones holding our babies and Zac. You know?"

Arizona is watching Callie talk, just smiling at how adorable she is. "I agree. And it will get better, I promise. But look at them, Calliope. I mean, if we didn't have to see them every day, wouldn't you want to?"

"Well, yeah. But that's beside the point. They are ours. I'm aloud to think that."

"I'm just saying, I know how you feel, because I feel the same way. But we will not be rude and tell people to stay away. If I remember right, about a year ago, shy of two days, we took vows to be with each other forever... So, the way I see it, we have plenty of time for just the five of us," Arizona says, as she leans in to give Callie a kiss.

"I'm sorry. I'm being selfish. I just, I missed so much with Zac and I have this fear I'm going to miss things with these two. And I know it sounds dumb, but I can't help it. I'm afraid Isla will smile for the first time and I'll miss it because Teddy is holding her. I'm afraid Ian will get his first tooth and my mom will notice it first because she is the one who made him laugh. I just... I don't want to miss anything," Callie says, with tears in her eyes.

Arizona gets up and tells Zac to sit in his bean bag as she hands him Ian. She picks up Isla from Callie and puts her in the bassinet, then goes back to sit by Callie.

"Calliope. I love you. Everything about you. The crazy side, the serious side, the business side, the best friend side, the wife side, but most importantly, the mom side of you. You make sure our children are put first and foremost, above anything else. I will tell you right now though, you won't be there for everything. I didn't see Zac's first step because I was working that day. We had been working on it for days, and I missed it. I missed it the first time he rolled over, because I was sitting right beside him but I was working on one of my books and was so engrossed in it, I just didn't see him. He was playing with a teething ring and being so quiet, and then... he rolled over. I had to do a double-take when I looked over and he was on his stomach. And I absolutely hated it and felt like the worst mom in the world, because I was right there and still missed it. Even watching them like a hawk, you are going to miss things. And it's ok. So, you learn to treasure the things you do get to see. It makes everything just that much more special. And you realize, that's ok, as long as you are there when you can be."

"Thank you. I love you so much. I just feel like I'm trying to make up for things with these two, but I guess I can't do that, no matter how hard I try."

"We don't want you to have to make up for anything. We love you, right now, for who you are. We love you so much and I love that you are such a wonderful mom We are so lucky to have you, Calliope."

"No, I'm the lucky one," Callie says, watching her now sleeping daughter in the bassinet and her boys cuddled in the chair. "I have everything I need and more. I can't tell you what a blessing you are to me, every day. You have shown me what true love is. I love you and our kids more than I could ever convey. So, thank you, for keeping me grounded. I love you," Callie whispers as she pulls Arizona in for a kiss. Pulling back, she says, "So, would you happen to know a New York Time's best-selling author who would like to accompany me to dinner Sunday night?"

"Well, why would you want to take her to dinner?" Arizona asks, knowingly.

"If I remember correctly, I owe her an anniversary dinner."

"Hmm... Let me check with her and I'll get back to you," Arizona smirks, as she gives Callie another kiss.

"I think if people are going to be here anyway, we may as well take a few hours for us. I don't want to ever stop taking a little time for you and I," Callie says, kissing Arizona's cheek.

"Will you two quit kissing?" Zac says, looking at them. Looking back to a sleeping Ian he whispers, "They do that all the time. It's so gross," he says, looking back to their mothers who are now laughing.

"Sorry, little man. We'll quit… For now," Arizona says, pulling Callie to lay back against her. "I think he could sit there and hold Ian all night."

"I think so too. We knew he would make a great big brother, but he is wonderful with them," Callie says.

"Can you bring me Isla too? I have room for her on this side," Zac says, looking over at them.

"And just when you think he couldn't get any better with them, he does," Arizona smiles as she gets up to get Isla. She carefully adjusts Zac's arm and lays Isla down. She takes a step back as Callie comes walking over with the camera.

"I know. I think we need a picture. They are just too cute." Callie snaps several pictures as Zac looks up as the flash goes off. He gives Callie the smile that is just like his mommy's, with his dimples flashing."

"Oh my gosh. I can't handle this cuteness," Callie says, turning the camera so that Arizona can see.

"I love that we have kids who look just like us. I mean, how could they not be cute?"

"You know what… I think something is missing," Callie says, with a serious face.

"What are you talking about?"

"I think we need to try one more time. I mean, little Isla is outnumbered."

"Calliope..." Arizona says, shaking her head. "They are two weeks old. You seriously don't want to talk about another one already?"

"Well, the way I see it, we have two that look like me and one that looks like you. I think we need a mini Arizona now."

"Give me few months, then we'll talk about it," Arizona says smiling and putting her arm around Callie. "I love you."

"I love you too."

THE END

AN: There will be an epilogue to follow. I have another story, Closer To You, already posted if you haven't checked it out yet.


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49: The Epilogue

Watching the yellow bus pull away, Callie turns around to face Arizona with tears falling rapidly down her face. When she sees her wife watching her, she falls into Arizona's waiting arms.

Today is the day the twins have been excited about for the past three months. It is also the day their mothers have been dreading. Although they took them yesterday for kindergarten orientation, today is the official first day of school.

"Honey, they will be fine. They are so excited. They know where their room is, where to put their backpacks and lunch boxes, and the teacher assured us they will be put on the right bus coming home. It will be ok," Arizona assures. "And if they aren't on the bus, Zac won't let the bus leave without them. You know how he is, he will insist they send out a search team if he doesn't see them."

Wiping her tears, Callie nods. "I know that. But maybe… maybe we should drop them off, and... and pick them up. That would be better."

"Honey, you know that isn't practical every day. Zac is in fourth grade and we have never had an issue. I don't expect any now."

"Zac was so independent though."

"Are you saying the twins aren't?"

"Arizona, you know full well what I mean. They are used to Zac taking the lead. Oh gosh, I don't know what we will do next year when he goes to the middle school! Oh… oh no... He will be in middle school next year! They are growing up!" Callie then lets out another sob as she holds on to her wife.

Arizona knew today would be tough. Every new school year has come and gone with lots of tears. All from her wife. Arizona loves her kids, but she is also very excited to see what the year brings for them. So, she sends them off with an expectant hope that they will exceed her wishes for them. She decided one tearful mom was enough.

They stand there at the end of the driveway until the bus can no longer be seen. They look down to see a little hand waving at the bus, right along with them.

"Zoey, it looks like it's just us now," Arizona says, as she turns the stroller and starts to head back to the house, leaving Callie to catch up after drying her tears.

"Hey. Don't leave me," Callie says, hurrying to catch up.

When you have children, you often say things like, "I hope they look like so and so. I hope they have this color or that color hair. I hope they have curls. I hope it's a girl or boy." Well, Calliope Torres said she hoped to have a little girl who looked just like her blonde-haired mommy. Sometimes we get our wish, sometimes we don't. In this case, Callie was smiled upon from up above and her wife gave birth to a miniature version of herself. And, to shake things up, when this little girl was born, she wasn't given an "I" name like the others. They decided to use the Z from Zac's nick-name and found Zoey. It actually couldn't be more fitting for the little, spunky blonde.

"Honey, Zoey is going to get upset if she sees her momma cry all day. You need to dry up those tears. Besides, we have a play date with Aunt Teddy and Connor. I think she wants to start planning their wedding today."

"They're only two and a half, Arizona, and we have three more before her if they happen to get married in birth order."

"Yep, which is why she wants to start planning now. That way we know what kind of budget we are working with so we can start saving."

"Let's talk them into eloping. Poor Connor though, what if she turns out to not only look like her mommy, but have the same taste in dates as her mommy That would leave little Connor out in the cold."

"Yeah, I'm sure Teddy hasn't thought about that," Arizona says, chuckling.

"Yep. Zoey has a way of doing things, already She is so determined. Also, just like her mommy. I'm so glad we had her. I feel like everything is just perfect, you know?"

"I know. Everything was already perfect, she was just like the icing on the cake though," Arizona confirms.

"She is definitely as sweet as can be. I'm so glad we were blessed with good kids. Healthy kids. A lot of parents aren't that lucky, you know? I mean, look at Tim and Erica. Little Timmy is a handful. They can't keep babysitters."

"They say he is just adjusting to the new baby and not doing very well with it. I think he was a handful before the baby came," Callie says.

"Yeah. I would kind of agree with that. Little Lindsay is adorable though. Oh, did I tell you… Tim is having a vasectomy next week. Says three is his limit."

"And did his wife agree?" Callie asks.

"Yeah. Erica said three was the perfect number for them."

"We have such a great life. Our family is good. Our friends are good. Life is good."

"Well, life would be better if we had a few more bedrooms. We need a bigger house Calliope."

"No, we don't. The boys share a room, the girls share a room, we share a room. And no… don't even think we need another room so we can turn into one of those couples that sleep in different rooms. Nope. We are good with three bedrooms."

"Calliope, I wouldn't even dream of sleeping without you. It's just, the girls are ok now, but I'm telling you now, here in about five years, they will want some privacy. And, I can assure you, the closet will not be big enough."

"I know. Old house, small closets… I get it. But, I don't want to move. We love it by the lake."

"Calliope, I didn't say we needed to move. We just need a bigger house. You know, having a couple best sellers now has enabled us to have quite the nest egg set aside. We can use some of that, have a contractor come in, do some renovations and maybe add on a little. I would love to have a bigger dining room. When they all move out and come back with families, I want enough room where we can have dinners at our house and not rent out the local town hall building."

"Yeah, I see your point. Ok. We can do it. But…. While everything is a mess and we are all crammed into one room while construction is going on, no meltdowns."

"Oh. I hadn't thought of that," Arizona says, in deep thought. "Oh, I know! We could rent a camper and park it beside the house! I have heard of people doing that before. It's not like we have to stay in the camper all the time, but it would give us a little more room," Arizona says, shrugging.

"Oh, yeah. Because you love camping so much," Callie giggles.

"Hey, if it means I get to snuggle in a little closer to you, I'm good with it."

"Boy, you can really pour it on thick, can't you?"

"Only for you, Calliope."

"Uh huh. Ok, so I say we reserve judgment on the camper until we talk to a contractor. We might not even need it."

"Sounds like a plan. Can you get her fastened in her car seat? I need to run in the house and get the diaper bag."

An hour later, after having breakfast with Teddy, they all take the kids to the park and let the two toddlers play for a little while. As they are pushing them in the swing, Teddy watches Callie walk back to the car to grab a blanket for the kids to sit on when they are done.

"So," Teddy starts. "I didn't want to say anything with Callie here, but Addie called this morning and said that Cameron has been seen out and about in New York. She can't get a tv job anymore, but apparently, she is working at a local station doing scut work. Which I would say is about as good as it's going to get for her now. She is living in that big hole she dug herself."

"Suits her right as far as I'm concerned. As long as she stays there, I don't give a fig what she does," Arizona says quietly, as Callie comes up beside her.

"Don't give a fig about what?" Callie asks, curiously.

"Um... Cameron is apparently working for a tv station doing scut work. They won't put her on tv."

"Yep, I agree. Don't give a fig," Callie says, shaking her head. "If I never hear her name again, it's still too soon."

"I agree," Arizona says, pushing Zoey as she giggles. "You know, when are you guys having another one of these? Weren't you supposed to have a gaggle of them?"

"Well, um, I... uh," Teddy stammers.

"Teddy Montgomery, you better spit it out, right now," Arizona says, knowing Teddy is hiding something.

"I can't tell you."

"Teddy..." Arizona says, giving her a glare but smiling. "Are you pregnant?"

"Um..."

"You so are!" Arizona says, leaning over to hug her.

"You can't tell Addie you know! She wanted to wait until the weekend when we have our double-date. So, you have to act surprised!"

"I'll try," Arizona laughs. "But I can't promise anything."

Later that evening, after the kids are put to bed, Arizona heads into the living room to find Callie sitting on the floor by the fireplace. It's a little too warm for a fire, but Callie has a blanket all spread out, with pillows and two glasses of wine.

"What's this?" Arizona asks, as she sits down by Callie, leaning in to give her a kiss."

"I just wanted to spend a few minutes with my beautiful wife. And I have my phone plugged in here with an alarm set, so if we happen to fall asleep, which, I know if we sit here for more than ten minutes, we will... then the alarm is already set."

"I love how you plan ahead," Arizona says, taking the glass of wine Callie is handing her.

"I try," Callie says, taking a sip of her wine. "And, you know, if we can get my parents to keep the kids all night when we go out with Addie and Teddy this weekend, I will try really hard to plan something that will curl your toes."

"Oh, I love how romantic my wife is," Arizona giggles.

"You love it," Callie says, pulling Arizona closer to her.

"I do. And I love you."

"I love you too. Now... Come here, I think before we cuddle too much, you need a little sneak-peak of Saturday," Callie says, wiggling her eyebrows.

"I really love the way you think, Mrs. Torres," Arizona whispers into Callie's lips.

THE END

AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed. It was all greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoyed this version of Callie and Arizona as much as I did. Once again, I do have a new story up, Closer To You. Hopefully you will give it a look!


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